Illustration of anchor
- A yachtsman's
- 1 ring
- 2 stock
- 3 shank
- 4 bill
- 5 fluke
- 6 arm
- 7 throat
- 8 crown
- B fluke
- C grapnel
- D plow
- E mushroom
plural anchors
often attributive
1
: a device usually of metal attached to a ship or boat by a cable and cast overboard to hold it in a particular place by means of a fluke that digs into the bottom
2
: a reliable or principal support : mainstay
a quarterback who has been the anchor of the team's offense
3
: something that serves to hold an object firmly
a bolt-and-nut cable anchor
4
: an object shaped like a ship's anchor
5
: a broadcaster (as on a news program) who introduces reports by other broadcasters and usually reads the news : an anchorman or anchorwoman
a TV news anchor
6
: the member of a team (such as a relay team) that competes last
7
: a large business (such as a department store) that attracts customers and other businesses to a shopping center or mall
8
mountaineering
: a fixed object (such as a tree or a piton) to which a climber's rope is secured
anchored; anchoring
ˈaŋ-k(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to hold in place in the water by an anchor
anchor a ship
2
: to secure firmly : fix
anchor a post in concrete
3
: to act or serve as an anchor for
… it is she who is anchoring the rebuilding campaign …—
Gray D. Boone
Gray D. Booneanchoring the evening news
Examples of anchor in a Sentence
Noun
The ship dropped anchor in a secluded harbor.
He described his wife as the emotional anchor of his life.
a local bank that has been the financial anchor of the community
Verb
They anchored the ship in the bay.
The ship anchored in the bay.
a star quarterback who has anchored the team's offense for many years
Recent Examples on the Web
William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
That connection—spiritual, communal, and generational—anchors Portrait, Joy’s third studio album and her boldest statement yet.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 12 Oct. 2025
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
The electric performance anchored the Blue Jays’ commanding 10–1 win.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anchor
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Noun
Weekend Update concluded with a joke off between Jost, Che, and former anchors Tina Fey, Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler, who was SNL‘s host Saturday.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
That connection—spiritual, communal, and generational—anchors Portrait, Joy’s third studio album and her boldest statement yet.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
When integrated with the EH216-S fleet for shorter flights, the VT35 could anchor a scalable low-altitude transportation network connecting city centers directly.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
The electric performance anchored the Blue Jays’ commanding 10–1 win.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anchor
Cite this Entry
“Anchor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anchor. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
anchor
1 of 2 noun
an·chor
ˈaŋ-kər
1
: a device usually of metal that is attached to a boat or ship by a cable and that when thrown overboard digs into the earth and holds the boat or ship in place
2
: something that serves to hold an object firmly or that gives a feeling of stability
the anchor of a bridge
3
anchor
2 of 2 verb
anchored; anchoring
-k(ə-)riŋ
1
: to hold in place by means of an anchor
anchor a ship
2
: to fasten to a firm foundation
anchor the cables of a bridge
3
: to drop anchor : become anchored
the boat anchored in the harbor
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