Erstwhile and Once

Similar meaning words

Erstwhile

Erstwhile adjective - Having been such at some previous time.

Usage example: my erstwhile friend ignored me when I ran into her at the mall

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Once is a synonym for erstwhile in former topic. In some cases you can use "Once" instead the word "Erstwhile" as an adjective or an adverb, when it comes to topics like time, bygone, precede, before. popular alternative

Once

Once adjective - Having been such at some previous time.

Usage example: the once child star is now a lawyer in the entertainment industry

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Synonyms for Once

Antonyms for Once

Erstwhile is a synonym for once in time topic. You can use "Erstwhile" instead the word "Once" as an adverb or an adjective, if it concerns topics such as bygone, precede, before, earlier. archaic substitute

Mutual synonyms

Related pairs

Both words in one sentence

Batman's erstwhile Outsiders teammate Black Lightning demonstrates this trick more than once in his 1990s solo book.

Source: Stealth Hi/Bye
After seeing her erstwhile teacher, Dan, perform a pathetic little Hadoken once, she's able to toss a full-powered Hadoken with very little effort.

Source: Charles Atlas Superpower
It's one thing to be total assholes to some obscure "Third World" people, but once your fellow First-Worlders get a sense that you're willing to do the same to everyone, expect your erstwhile allies to gang-up on you.

Source: The Fettered

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Cite this Source

Once and Erstwhile. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/once

Erstwhile & Once. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/once>.

Once or Erstwhile. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/erstwhile/once.

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