as in elder statesman
the senior member of a group
the revered éminence grise of Civil War historians
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Recent Examples of éminence grise
But none have matched JPMorgan, which, under the leadership of Wall Street’s eminence grise Jamie Dimon, has thrived.
—
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2024
Belafonte was 57, an eminence grise in entertainment, and his participation motivated lots of artists who admired him.
—Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024
Federer serving in the Sinatra/Clooney part as the eminence grise.
—Jason Gay, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2022
That emotionally astute author, the eminence grise, the institutional memory.
—Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2021
Matthews is an eminence grise of television news, his pugilistic and red-cheeked persona familiar to viewers from countless election nights.
—BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2020
In the world of the candle obsessed, Diptyque is the eminence grise.
—Kathleen Hou, The Cut, 16 Jan. 2018
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2024
Belafonte was 57, an eminence grise in entertainment, and his participation motivated lots of artists who admired him.
—Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024
Federer serving in the Sinatra/Clooney part as the eminence grise.
—Jason Gay, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2022
That emotionally astute author, the eminence grise, the institutional memory.
—Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2021
Matthews is an eminence grise of television news, his pugilistic and red-cheeked persona familiar to viewers from countless election nights.
—BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2020
In the world of the candle obsessed, Diptyque is the eminence grise.
—Kathleen Hou, The Cut, 16 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for éminence grise
Noun
-
The Rangers need another strong campaign from the two elder statesmen on the starting staff.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The franchise’s elder statesmen understand that Jokic is an inextricable aspect of any conversation about Murray’s developing legacy.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cheadle clearly figured out that his main job here is to cue her up and get out of her way; that is greatly to this veteran actor’s credit.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Retired salesman and Air Force veteran Bud Levell, 72, has spent most of his life repairing old radios, machines and anything with wires.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Christina Economos, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, said diet is a primary driver of preventable disease.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Dave Chappelle Has Long-Standing Ties to Yellow Springs Chappelle was raised in Maryland but spent summers in the village, where his father served as dean of students at Antioch College.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These are our children, our parents, our siblings, our elders, our neighbors, and our loved ones.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Epstein realized the Beatles needed to be freshly scrubbed in order to play in the spaces controlled by the entertainment elders who booked bands and controlled the old‑school show‑business platforms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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