Synonyms of keystone

keystone

noun

ˈkē-ˌstōn 

as in cornerstone

an immaterial thing upon which something else rests

a sense of history is the keystone to the city's draw as a tourist destination

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cornerstone
• basis
• foundation
• bedrock
• root
• base
• justification
• groundwork
• core
• ground
• framework
• underpinning
• footing
• premise
• warp
• support
• theory
• bottom
• essence
• focus
• warp and woof
• infrastructure
• center
• mount
• assumption
• prop
• backbone
• rationale
• kernel
• thesis
• anchorage
• shore
• substratum
• heart
• presumption
• brace
• bed
• substructure
• bulwark
• hub
• warrant
• nucleus
• stay
• buttress
• seat
• presupposition
• supposition
• touchstone
• soul
• eye
• quintessence

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of keystone

Tales of what happened at Roswell have grown in the telling so that it’s now seen as a keystone event by many true believers in the alien origins of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 12 June 2026

Housing is the keystone that impacts multiple issues most important to San Jose’s residents. — Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 26 May 2026

And for United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, a keystone habit for leading the $30 billion airline is taking a 20-minute nap on the floor, which his staff initially found bizarre. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

The mammals were once known as a keystone species of the Great Plains ecosystem. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 6 May 2026