as in primary
coming before all others in importance
this is the main point of the study—everything else is secondary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in power
muscular strength
all their might and main could not budge the stalled car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in continent
one of the great divisions of land on the globe or the main part of such a division
islanders periodically traveled back to the main for supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in core
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts
the main of the tree is still healthy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of main
Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 24 Jan. 2026
Streets Department Director James Jackson said the city aims to have all main roadways open in 48 to 72 hours.
—Anusha Mathur, NPR, 24 Jan. 2026
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Expect hearty mains, craft beers brewed on site, and a lively, come-as-you-are outdoor biergarten.
—Taryn Shorr-McKee, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for main
Adjective
Turn off main water supply valve This prevents water from flowing into the frozen pipe, reducing the risk of a burst.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 24 Jan. 2026
Streets Department Director James Jackson said the city aims to have all main roadways open in 48 to 72 hours.
—Anusha Mathur, NPR, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
For a dinner with five people at an izakaya, including sushi, mains and drinks, the total came to about $100.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Expect hearty mains, craft beers brewed on site, and a lively, come-as-you-are outdoor biergarten.
—Taryn Shorr-McKee, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for main
Recent Examples of Synonyms for main
Adjective
-
For many people who stream music every day, how artists and rightsholders are paid is not a primary concern.—
Shain Shapiro,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The experience also reinforced Madsen’s belief in the power of social media.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Mophie's power bank has the functionality of a wireless MagSafe connection, with the convenience of a stand.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Over seven months, the quartet performed 81 shows across three continents to more than 2 million attendees, cementing their status as the highest-grossing touring act among female K-pop groups.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Martin Farquhar Tupper, a poet and an antiquarian favored by Queen Victoria, argued that Rapa Nui was the remnant of a lost continent whose people had perished.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mobile units have core tasks of license plate collection and vehicle pattern tracking.—
Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The birth of Endeavor startled Hollywood, but Endeavor’s subsequent takeover of powerhouse William Morris shook the town to its core.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are muscles behind your skin and face, and my mother did it her whole life.—
E. Alex Jung,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
-
With osteomalacia and rickets, a person may experience throbbing bone discomfort and muscle weakness and pain.—
Mark Stibich,
Verywell Health,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Huang visited mainland China at least three times last year, including in January for Lunar New Year celebrations.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
-
So Andrew landed a new gig on the mainland at Western Michigan, currently ranked 18th, losses to Tulane and Notre Dame.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Together, the three systems enable continuous, adaptive whole-body autonomy — allowing humanoid robots to walk, carry, reach, and recover in real time.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
It’s designed to be biocompatible—not harmful to living tissue—though, and to stay in the body for as long as a decade and be reversible at any time with a sodium bicarbonate injection.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
By the next day, anger and fear felt like the predominant emotional states.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Centuries ago, exhalations of humans and animals, in addition to that derived from natural processes such as decay and forest fires, may have been predominant.—
Beronda L. Montgomery,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/main. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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