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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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 erstwhile
Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 4 May 2024
Whereas in France, Le Pen was kept from victory in June-July parliamentary elections by an intricate network of tactical voting between erstwhile rivals.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024
Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See all Example Sentences for erstwhile 
Adjective
Jeremy Strong Ice-Bucket Challenge A special award for the erstwhile eldest boy, whose starring role in An Enemy of the People involves getting a bucket of real ice dumped on top of him at every performance.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 4 May 2024
Whereas in France, Le Pen was kept from victory in June-July parliamentary elections by an intricate network of tactical voting between erstwhile rivals.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024
Adverb
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
-
In today’s opinions newsletter: Who might run the federal government, a cushy bonus for a former University of Arizona president and the moral implications of mass deportation.Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
-
So has there been any smack talk between Jackson and his former teammates this week?Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
Total Wireless, formerly known as Total by Verizon, is a prepaid, no-contract wireless provider with unlimited data covered by the Verizon 5G network.Molly Higgins, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2024
-
Talia Jane, an independent reporter on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared quotes from people who knew Bushnell on her page.Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The show skips across the decades, dramatizing the interviews an older Dolours (Maxine Peake) did for a Boston College oral history of the Troubles, which were taped with the promise that they would be released only after participants’ deaths.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
-
By contrast, the prospect of citizenships and alliances—and perhaps conquests or crusades—structured around the opinions, beliefs, and subjective identities of ordinary people in times of peace would require a new (or very old) conception of empire.Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
Adverb
-
Until Denis Villeneuve came along, adapting Frank Herbert’s novel Dune into a workable movie seemed like an impossible dream, nobly attempted once by David Lynch under the supervision of producers Dino and Raffaella De Laurentiis but to little critical or commercial success.Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
-
Still, even simple flourishes like multiple color options were once rare.PCMAG, PCMAG, 17 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Furniture, appliances, and other household items can also be donated to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore program.Whizy Kim, Vox, 19 Nov. 2024
-
The United States has been effective thus far in deterring China from invading Taiwan but has not prevented China from undertaking other provocative actions in the South China Sea.Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
Articles Related to erstwhile
Thesaurus Entries Near erstwhile
Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share