as in former
having been such at some previous time
my erstwhile friend ignored me when I ran into her at the reunion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of erstwhile
Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Another was an erstwhile belt factory and a third is in the former Cook County Hospital.
—Brian E. Clark, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty.
—Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Adjective
That includes Anyone but Mamdani, a PAC recently formed by Bo Dietl, an ex-NYPD detective and erstwhile friend of Mayor Adams.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Another was an erstwhile belt factory and a third is in the former Cook County Hospital.
—Brian E. Clark, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Adverb
Candidates for the fifth spot include former postseason hero Ian Anderson, erstwhile All-Star Bryce Elder, and rookies AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep.
After winning a surprise world championship in 2021, the Braves had two 100-win seasons without reaching the final round again.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty.
—Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erstwhile
Adjective
-
The expiring boost, implemented in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act under former President Joe Biden, applies to 22 million of the 24 million low- and middle-income Americans with plans through the ACA marketplace.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Frantzve was also a former beauty queen, having been crowned Miss Arizona USA in 2012.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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This stands in sharp contrast to struggling sectors like multifamily, which are contending with softening rents and oversupply in formerly high-growth markets.—
Andrew DeNardo,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Fruitist, founded in 2012 and formerly known as Agrovision, launched its first consumer products in 2020, recently surpassed $400 million in annual sales, and reached a valuation above $1 billion.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Smith replied that private schools must submit renewal packets every year before they are approved to continue participation in the accounts program, and that the agency compares the new tuition rates against the older rates.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
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The reversal marks just one example of how Trump is rewriting Republicans’ decades-old playbook on countering Beijing’s influence in the United States and abroad.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Sweep guest rooms, guest bathrooms, formal entertaining spaces, and other parts of the home that are used infrequently at least once a month.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center is a tallgrass prairie nature preserve, a unique remnant of what once filled much of the Great Plains.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In order to embolden and support his organization, bin Laden often videotaped himself with messages aimed at his target audience, established training centers in Afghanistan, had an expansive funding network that included wealthy individuals, couriers, mosques and other complex ways to raise funds.—
Richard Frankel,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement Kirk’s path to national prominence was unlike that of other MAGA icons.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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