as in establishment
the usually older members of an organization (such as a political party) who do not want or like change
She's not popular with the old guard.
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Recent Examples of old guard
Magic rookie Jase Richardson fell short of accomplishing his goal of winning the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday night, but the 20-year-old guard has no regrets participating in the highlight event.
—
Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
The 24-year-old guard suffered a left hamstring strain earlier this season that forced him to miss 20 games.
—Eric Nehm, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
For those asking whether the Heat would prioritize minutes for its young players after Thursday’s silent trade deadline, 19-year-old guard Kasparas Jakucionis did not play on Friday despite being healthy and in uniform.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
The Clippers traded Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in exchange for 26-year-old guard Darius Garland.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for old guard
Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
The 24-year-old guard suffered a left hamstring strain earlier this season that forced him to miss 20 games.
—Eric Nehm, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
For those asking whether the Heat would prioritize minutes for its young players after Thursday’s silent trade deadline, 19-year-old guard Kasparas Jakucionis did not play on Friday despite being healthy and in uniform.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
The Clippers traded Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in exchange for 26-year-old guard Darius Garland.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for old guard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old guard
establishment
Noun
-
The ruling establishment will want to move quickly to show stability in the republic, with members of the assembly expected to convene soon to deliberate over possible candidates before naming Khamenei’s replacement.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Khamenei rallied the clerical establishment, and unelected bodies run by mullahs shut down major reforms and barred reform candidates from elections.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Old guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old%20guard. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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