as in veterans
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 hands
And the old hands who know their way around the Washington labyrinth mostly see the Tech Hamiltonians as a menace to be thwarted, and so use their talent and knowledge to work against rather than for the new regime.
—
Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old hands
veterans
Noun
-
The co-worker said Pretti researched how to prevent veterans from dying from colon cancer.—
Jeff Winter,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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Both veterans are coming off outstanding performances against the Texans.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Old hands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20hands. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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