plural mainstays
1
a
: a crucial or key part of something
Fish is the mainstay of their diet.
Tourism is a mainstay of the city's economy.
The mainstay of treatment for chronic hives of unknown origin is antihistamine medications.—
Mayo Clinic Health Letter
Mayo Clinic Health Letter
b
: someone or something that is a principal or reliable support or resource
Tourism is one of the city's economic mainstays.
Her immense pride in him and unquestioning support were among the few mainstays in his life.—Robert V. Remini
Robert V. Remini2
: a ship's stay (see stay entry 1 sense 1) extending from the maintop forward usually to the foot of the foremast
Examples of mainstay in a Sentence
Fish is a mainstay of their diet.
My mother has always been the mainstay of our family.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Altitude Sports broadcast team includes play-by-play mainstay Chris Marlowe and his color commentary partner Scott Hastings, as well as reporter/analysts Christopher Dempsey and Katy Winge.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Some mainstays will be a part of the Yankees' future, but there is room for the front office to make changes this offseason.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Peruse go-to’s at their lowest price, such as Neutrogena’s hyaluronic cream, L’Oréal’s volumizing mascara, and Crest’s 3-D whitening strips—all medicine cabinet mainstays in our book.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
The camaraderie between the eight mainstays is clear as the actors hug each other arriving to talk to media outlets.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstay
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Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Some mainstays will be a part of the Yankees' future, but there is room for the front office to make changes this offseason.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Peruse go-to’s at their lowest price, such as Neutrogena’s hyaluronic cream, L’Oréal’s volumizing mascara, and Crest’s 3-D whitening strips—all medicine cabinet mainstays in our book.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
The camaraderie between the eight mainstays is clear as the actors hug each other arriving to talk to media outlets.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstay
Cite this Entry
“Mainstay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainstay. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mainstay
noun
main·stay
-ˌstā 
1
: a large strong rope running from the maintop of a ship usually to the foot of the foremast
2
: a chief support
the mainstay of the family
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