mainstay

noun main·stay \ ˈmān-ˌstā \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Examples: mainstay in a Sentence

Definition of mainstay

1 : a ship's stay extending from the maintop forward usually to the foot of the foremast

2 : a chief support

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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 of mainstay from the Web

There are many pillars in a community that contribute to keeping it vital and strong, and two local mainstays have partnered together to keep neighbors in need well-fed — the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry and City Barbeque in Berwyn.

— felicia dechter, chicagotribune.com, "Column: City Barbeque teams up with Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry," 7 July 2018
The Seattle Times this week spoke to Costco CFO Richard Galanti, who confirmed that while the polish hot dog is gone, the all-beef mainstay isn’t going anywhere.

— david z. morris, Fortune, "Costco Adds Healthier Items to Food Court, Cutting Some Favorites," 7 July 2018
Ultimately the hubbub around the question just proves that there are some classics of American cuisine that may have regional or even familial differences, but remain mainstays that can bring us all together.

— raisa bruner, Time, "People Have Very Strong Feelings About the Correct Approach to Making a PB&J," 29 June 2018
Lastly, the eponymous label led by Nigerian mainstay Lisa Folawiyo manipulates traditional west African fabrics with cutting-edge silhouettes, application and tailoring; each one of her looks tells a unique story.

— georgia murray, refinery29.com, "Where To Find The Coolest African Designers Online," 28 June 2018
Toné! as major inspirations, and the band’s sound -- which by Sons of Soul was entirely self-produced -- would soon become an obvious influence on other neo-soul mainstays like Maxwell and Tony Rich.

— rebecca bodenheimer, Billboard, "25 Years Ago, Tony! Toni! Toné! Released the Blueprint Album for the Neo-Soul Movement," 22 June 2018
His name tends to gets lost in the match reports, but Modric is the heart-and-soul mainstay of the reigning Champions League titlists, always part of the conversation when global all-star teams are discussed.

— bruce jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "As Lionel Messi fades, a Croatian great rises," 21 June 2018
Boating and fishing are encouraged, and swimmers can enjoy pools and slides provided by local mainstay Raging Waters.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "Splash Around in Some Water at These 6 L.A. Parks," 12 June 2018
Along with food and vendor mainstays, there will be pride swag available for purchase, including hoodies, hats, raffle tickets and more.

— yoshina okamoto, Anchorage Daily News, "PrideFest 2018 starts this week in Anchorage; here are some of the highlights," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mainstay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.