: 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
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
Noun
She will be bestowed with the honor by Spectrum News 1 anchor, Giselle Fernandez.—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 July 2024 Biden, who has faced pressure from his own political party to step down in recent weeks, is set to sit down one-on-one at the White House with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, a network spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY.—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 15 July 2024
Verb
Twister built a template that its sequel largely follows: loud and fast-paced but anchored by a reliable ensemble spouting meteorological technobabble amid the chaos.—David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 July 2024 Stewart returned to The Daily Show in February, anchoring the Comedy Central program once a week (usually on Mondays); the show’s correspondents host the other three days of the week.—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for anchor
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anchor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English ancre, from Old English ancor, from Latin anchora, from Greek ankyra; akin to Old English anga hook — more at angle
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 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
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