How to Use the elder in a Sentence

the elder

noun
  • The next hearing in the elder abuse case is set for next week.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
  • That same year, the elder of the Bankman-Frieds’ two sons was born.
    — David Leavitt, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2023
  • Tom, the elder of the two, was given up for adoption as an infant.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
  • But the honest agent can still withdraw the elder’s funds for the elder.
    — Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
  • And the elder Seymour, a slight man, did not sit on the sidelines.
    — Andre Mouchard, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026
  • After saying it out loud, the elder James struggled to process the idea.
    — Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Rummel the elder never spoke of his own childhood; too painful, perhaps.
    — Dan Barry, BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2023
  • Gregory, the elder, is a loner who rarely talks to others, even his own parents.
    — Sarah Schutte, National Review, 21 Jan. 2024
  • Livestream From Hell is an indicator that the elder of the group is a man of his word.
    — Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2025
  • As the children walked home, the elder was on the phone with Samuele Jenkins, his father.
    — Maia Nehme, Charlotte Observer, 9 Aug. 2025
  • None of this would have been possible if not for a dream the elder José Cruz pursued long ago.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 23 June 2026
  • This is a very tricky area when the elder has dementia or other cognitive decline.
    — Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2023
  • Pouring into them keeps the elder player invested in the game.
    — Shakeia Taylor, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Willow is the elder of two children Pink shares with husband Carey Hart.
    — Ryan Brennan march 3, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
  • That is almost precisely the threshold at which the elder sibling tier begins.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • Three of the elder Browner's brothers played in the NFL.
    — Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Flynn Busson, the elder of his sons with Macpherson, is now working on the studio.
    — Andrew Rice, Curbed, 2 Dec. 2025
  • Julian’s shambling charm wears her down, the elder statesman challenging his younger peer’s view on their industry.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Surtain, though, is also now the elder statesman in the room as a fifth-year pro who speaks readily and highly of the young guys looking up to him.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
  • Paltrow played the younger version of Wendy, while Maggie Smith played the elder version.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
  • Along the way, the elder quarterbacks Rodgers and Flacco achieved some unique history.
    — Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Had the vaccine reached the elder sooner, perhaps more of the Juma people’s history would have been saved.
    — Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The everyday millionaire and the elder sibling are not competing in the same market.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • Reese was airlifted to a local trauma center while the elder was taken for treatment by ambulance.
    — David Chiu, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024
  • At 26, Glenn is the elder of the trio, and her journey to this moment is genuinely powerful.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Qassem phoned the elder of his two sons, Ali, who, like his uncle, Samih, had joined the Lebanese security forces.
    — Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
  • Carroll, meanwhile, went on to be the elder statesman of NFL head coaches but could never get back over the hump.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Saturday marks the fifth head-to-head meeting between the Pitinos, with the elder coach boasting a 3-1 record.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
  • That is when his father began buying in to the possibility that the elder of his two sons might become a player of consequence.
    — Mick McCabe, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2023
  • This is the third year that the elder Bryan has made the long, three-day trek from Claremore to Copan, Oklahoma.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 16 Nov. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the elder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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