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
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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
-
Boasting 14 years of NBA experience, Middleton joins Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dwight Powell and Jones as Dallas’ elder statesmen.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lastly, Vlachos had submitted a proposal to JobsOhio, the Ohio State president's office and others for a mobile job-search app for Ohio veterans, according to JobsOhio social media posts.—
JULIE CARR SMYTH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The duo join veteran Annapurna executive Skye Optican, VP International Film & TV as well as Head of Theatre, who has been based in London for several years growing Annapurna’s international presence and slate across film, TV and theatre.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pageants, deans' lists, graduations or military enlistments are not accepted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Susan Murin, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, said the projects these students are working on could one day help save lives.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In recent years, the game has seen another uptick in popularity—especially with younger players who in prior generations might have been the ones rolling their eyes at their elders’ gossipy game nights—and an increase in controversies.—
Kase Wickman,
Vanity Fair,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft from an elder, theft by false pretenses, conspiracy, contracting without a license and other offenses.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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