as in veteran
a person with long experience in a specified area
with 25 years on the job, Vinnie was the old hand everyone went to with their problems
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Recent Examples of old hand
Director Len Wiseman is an old hand at franchise filmmaking, having made the first two Underworld films and Live Free or Die Hard (2007), which doesn’t stop everything from somehow feeling a tad chintzy.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2025
But Latta is an old hand on the committee and a longtime nuclear energy booster.
—Daniel Moore, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025
The mixture of new blood and old hands, Long says, helps the agency identify new directions and figure out the best way to fund them.
—Byjeffrey Mervis, science.org, 7 Feb. 2025
His crew is mostly high school students collecting community service hours along with old hands who have been using wobbly ladders, ropes and pulleys for years to string long strands of lights from the cedars’ graceful branches.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for old hand
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2025
But Latta is an old hand on the committee and a longtime nuclear energy booster.
—Daniel Moore, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025
The mixture of new blood and old hands, Long says, helps the agency identify new directions and figure out the best way to fund them.
—Byjeffrey Mervis, science.org, 7 Feb. 2025
His crew is mostly high school students collecting community service hours along with old hands who have been using wobbly ladders, ropes and pulleys for years to string long strands of lights from the cedars’ graceful branches.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for old hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old hand
veteran
Noun
-
Leading nominee Lady Gaga, Latin Icon Award recipient Ricky Martin and viral video breakouts Sombr and Conan Gray showcased MTV's commitment to balancing veterans and upstarts during the 2025 VMAs.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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Thomas is a former NBA lottery pick and 13-year veteran and current basketball coach at a high school just up the road, Paramus Catholic, who had just shared a hearty handshake and hug with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Old hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20hand. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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