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 winery’s namesake Pray Tell Gamay has been a mainstay since 2017.
—Emily Bloch, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 May 2025
La Brigada de Oro has been a mainstay at Geodis Park ever since.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
Kapanen went from being a mainstay in the lineup after he was claimed off waivers in November to being squeezed once the playoffs began and the cavalry of injured players returned.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 15 May 2025
As networks continue to dot their schedules with revivals of Match Game and Hollywood Squares and other mainstays, an exhibit to examine game show history and impact is looking to close a funding gap after a federal grant was pulled.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mainstay
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Emily Bloch, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 May 2025
La Brigada de Oro has been a mainstay at Geodis Park ever since.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
Kapanen went from being a mainstay in the lineup after he was claimed off waivers in November to being squeezed once the playoffs began and the cavalry of injured players returned.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 15 May 2025
As networks continue to dot their schedules with revivals of Match Game and Hollywood Squares and other mainstays, an exhibit to examine game show history and impact is looking to close a funding gap after a federal grant was pulled.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 May 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 24 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share