as in former
having been such at some previous time
my erstwhile friend ignored me when I ran into her at the reunion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of erstwhile
Shannon Carlin, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
With an erstwhile friend like this, who needs enemies?
—The Editors, National Review, 23 Jan. 2025
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty.
—Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Adjective
After his latest album bombs, aging rocker John Allman (Harry Connick Jr.) moves to the idyllic Mediterranean island of Cyprus to escape his life only to have his past catch up with him in the form of an erstwhile love with a big secret.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
With an erstwhile friend like this, who needs enemies?
—The Editors, National Review, 23 Jan. 2025
Adverb
Candidates for the fifth spot include former postseason hero Ian Anderson, erstwhile All-Star Bryce Elder, and rookies AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep.
After winning a surprise world championship in 2021, the Braves had two 100-win seasons without reaching the final round again.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty.
—Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erstwhile
Adjective
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What Does KenPom Say? Analytics guru Ken Pomeroy, a former U.S. government meteorologist, revolutionized the use of statistics as a predictor of success in the NCAA tournament in the early 2000s, and his rankings are recognized as the industry standard.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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Three former Miami women’s winners are in the field in defending champ Danielle Collins, Iga Swiatek and Victoria Azarenka.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
Adverb
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In a backstage video shared to X (formerly Twitter) by iHeartRadio, the singer, who skipped the carpet, could be seen wearing a body-hugging mermaid gown with sparkles on the bodice and off-the-shoulder sleeves.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
18 Mar. 2025
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The formerly friendly hound transformed into one of cold calculation that left a trail of bodies in its wake.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The other part of him, the innie, is for all intents and purposes 2 1/2 years old.—
Gary Levin,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
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Every year in the US, there are approximately 35,000 ER visits due to unintentional medication overdoses among children under 5 years old.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
Adverb
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And to top it off, Knoblauch was once again left irritated by a mistake from a depth player that eventually led to a pivotal goal against.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
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The first-stage booster making its eighth flight was recovered once again on the droneship called A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.—
Richard Tribou,
Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While the Midwest and the South are bracing for possible severe storms Friday and Saturday, on Thursday there was a critical risk of fire in Texas and other parts of the Great Plains — and the extreme danger will continue into the weekend.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
14 Mar. 2025
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This training works to combat powder fever, sunk costs, confirmation bias, and other flaws that can lead to bad decision-making.—
Ashley Thess,
Outdoor Life,
14 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to erstwhile
Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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