eminence grise

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.

Alexander Hamilton, by then a New York lawyer who still played the president’s éminence grise, wanted Washington to exit as he entered: a unifying figure optimistic about the “infant nation.”

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2025

Ray Liotta bulldogs along amusingly as the western’s producer, while John Malkovich goes apoplectic as some kind of éminence grise.

From New York Times • May 11, 2023

Now entering their éminence grise era — they’re both in their 60s — the pair were recently the subject of a one-hour documentary produced by KCET.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2023

Multiple experts praised his skill — Dr. Walter Straus, an associate vice president at the drug company Merck & Co., said Whitley is an "éminence grise" in pediatrics whom people trust.

From Salon • Sep. 26, 2020

Although he may have always been described as the enfant terrible of fashion, today Gaultier is one the industry’s éminence grise.

From The Guardian • Jan. 23, 2020