old guard
noun
variants
or less commonly Old Guard
1
: the conservative and especially older members of an organization (such as a political party)
2
: a group of established prestige and influence
compare new guard
Examples of old guard in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The party liberals — particularly younger voices, in Congress and outside of it — are increasingly disillusioned with how the Democrats’ old guard is managing the high-stakes battle against President Trump, who is using his second term to dismantle the conventions of law and government.
—
Mike Lillis, The Hill, 12 May 2025
The election is shaping up to be a battle between the party's old guard and a crop of younger lawmakers looking to bypass the seniority system to put up a more vigorous opposition to the Trump administration.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 6 May 2025
Listen to this article A Democratic intraparty feud deepened Thursday as the Democratic National Committee warned Vice Chairman David Hogg to stop openly backing primary challengers to sitting lawmakers from the party’s aging old guard.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
Some reformist party members openly criticized Yoon’s actions and cast ballots to impeach him, triggering a feud with the party’s old guard who supported the president.
—Time, 8 Apr. 2025
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Mike Lillis, The Hill, 12 May 2025
The election is shaping up to be a battle between the party's old guard and a crop of younger lawmakers looking to bypass the seniority system to put up a more vigorous opposition to the Trump administration.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 6 May 2025
Listen to this article A Democratic intraparty feud deepened Thursday as the Democratic National Committee warned Vice Chairman David Hogg to stop openly backing primary challengers to sitting lawmakers from the party’s aging old guard.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
Some reformist party members openly criticized Yoon’s actions and cast ballots to impeach him, triggering a feud with the party’s old guard who supported the president.
—Time, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for old guard
Cite this Entry
“Old guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old%20guard. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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