grandam

noun

variants or grandame
Definition of grandamnext
as in beldam

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandam
  1. dowager
  2. patriarch
  3. graybeard
Noun
  • The show’s underpinned by the differences in character and country of Lady Cora and her formidable mother-in-law, the dowager Countess Violet Crawley, played by the equally formidable and much missed Dame Maggie Smith.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 July 2025
  • The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.
    — Stephanie Balkwill, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of dowager
Noun
  • The next day, Luwi had a similar daydream, but this time the disapproving patriarch was Gajdusek.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Under the Buss family, with patriarch Jerry passing away in 2013, the Lakers snagged 11 NBA Championships.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of patriarch
Noun
  • Sixteen years into the experiment, Twitter is a graybeard by internet years and by corporate standards.
    — Matt Pearce, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
  • While Diener is the graybeard of the team, 24-year-old Sacar Anim is the youngest.
    — Ben Steele, Journal Sentinel, 20 July 2022
Definition of graybeard
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Grandam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandam. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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