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Showing results for erstwhile. Search instead for erstehende.
Definitions

erstwhile

[urst-hwahyl, -wahyl] / ˈɜrstˌʰwaɪl, -ˌwaɪl /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That was before the alliance disintegrated, the two erstwhile allies turned on each other and the jihadists drove the Tuareg separatists out.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Compare that to the strapline you’d have to write for the erstwhile VW ID.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The erstwhile interim U.S. attorney, then, is in a pickle of his own making.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

One lesson that might worry the clerics and military men in Tehran comes from their erstwhile ally, former President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

Charles Howard, owner of three erstwhile unsaleable automobiles, was suddenly the richest man in town.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand




Vocabulary lists containing erstwhile