as in elder statesman
the senior member of a group
the revered éminence grise of Civil War historians
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 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
-
He’s joined by elder statesman Randall (Steve Carell), idealistic AI expert Jeff (Ramy Youssef) and the richest of them all: Ven (Cory Michael Smith), a clear Elon Musk analogue who rules over his social media empire with a cocky bravado.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
2 June 2025
-
Only a couple teams can attract a Messi or a Beckham, while far more have a shot at wooing a player like Vela: someone still on the south side of 30, with a few prime years left to give before evolving into an elder statesman and eventually an off-the-field club embassador.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Those two are the veterans in a room that’s filled with unproven talents such as Cam Smith, Storm Duck, Ethan Bonner, Isaiah Johnson and rookies Jason Marshall Jr and BJ Adams.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
-
With Jarrett and the rookie Turner entering the rotation with Dexter and returning veteran tackles Chris Williams, Zacch Pickens and Jonathan Ford, the Bears have created some healthy competition at defensive tackle.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
National Dems boost Moore’s budget message; state Dems focus on Hogan Johns Hopkins selects new dean of public health after global search READER POLL: Who gave the best commencement speech?—
Karl Merton Ferron,
Baltimore Sun,
29 May 2025
-
In addition to investigating allegations of drinking with students, Hiestand was tasked with investigating claims of harassment between two parties: the coaches and deans accused of partying with students and a teacher who reported them.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Columnist Steve Lopez asks: If people taking care of our elders get deported, will anyone take their place?—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
-
Every day of inaction is an act of aggression against the system that protects our elders from poverty and indignity.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share