OLD HANDS Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

old hands

noun

plural of old hand

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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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.

Recent Examples of old hands With Friday’s game teetering in the third quarter at the Moda Center, Spurs rookie Dylan Harper took matters into his 20-year-old hands and helped spark a stunning 120-108 victory that stole the Spurs a 2-1 lead in Western Conference first-round series. —

Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Apr. 2026 On the television side, however, the winning series for excellence in period, sci-fi/fantasy, and contemporary costumes were all old hands. —

Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for old hands

veterans

Noun

Public funds are meant to serve the common good — repairing roads, supporting veterans, improving schools, strengthening public safety and protecting programs that millions of working families rely on.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
The new requirements apply to people ages 18 to 64, including veterans and unhoused people.

— Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 9 May 2026