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
Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Today, passenger travel has become the company's main focus.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
Sprinkle colorful berries onto your morning oatmeal or chia pudding, and add fresh or cooked vegetables to your mains and side dishes.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for main
Adjective
Its main corridor — East Riverside Drive between Interstate 35 and Texas 71 — has seen significant growth and development in recent years.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
Today, passenger travel has become the company's main focus.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
To facilitate the transport, Citizens is building four new booster stations, which keep the water moving, and about 52 miles of transmission mains.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 26 Jan. 2026
Sprinkle colorful berries onto your morning oatmeal or chia pudding, and add fresh or cooked vegetables to your mains and side dishes.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for main
Recent Examples of Synonyms for main
Adjective
-
Turnout on the second day of early voting in Tarrant County outshined the already impressive number of ballots cast on Day One of the primary races.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 2026
-
A lot has changed in New Albany in the 174 years since the church opened and its clock tower served as the town’s primary time source.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Food and drink Onsite restaurant L’Escale is just as much a Greenwich institution as the hotel itself—a proper entity conveniently attached at the hip to your lodging for power lunchers in daylight, special-occasion diners in the evening, and a rotating cast of Hopper subjects always at the bar.—
Charlie Hobbs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Republicans often couched their fury at speech restrictions — around right-wing cultural politics and COVID-19, in particular — as part of a broader critique of corporate power.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Planet Earth has gone through many periods where supercontinents and superoceans were the norm, and many others where multiple continents and multiple separate, independent oceans covered Earth’s surface.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Really, the only All-Star Game among this continent’s four traditional major sports that has any hint of relevance is baseball’s.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Then, about four to five billion years later, our Sun will run out of hydrogen fuel in its core, evolving into a red giant.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
-
For short-term rentals, check out the Historic District or find more affordable options in the Midtown area or other neighborhoods a little farther out from the city’s core.—
Adam Kuehl,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That structure can support the kind of consistent protein intake experts recommend for maintaining muscle and energy during perimenopause and menopause, especially when meals are selected in the roughly 25- to 35-gram protein range.—
Rita Templeton,
Flow Space,
13 Feb. 2026
-
His muscles waste, his mind dulls, his body collapses inward until only a voice remains, thin and disembodied.—
Gilberto Lopes,
STAT,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
It is obligated by domestic law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter any armed attack from the mainland.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Don your hiking boots and prepare yourself to roam perhaps the most untamed piece of mainland France.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
La Sultana’s signature hammam also includes an extra body mask step after exfoliation, comprising a choice of either Moroccan Argan oil or natural Ghassoul clay sourced from the Atlas mountains.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Doug wouldn’t let his body get him down, although Lord knows his body tried.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But the predominant response has been one of welcome, support and encouragement.—
Will Barker,
TheWeek,
10 Feb. 2026
-
For the past fifty years, the predominant theory held that our capacity to parse complicated syntax rested on specialized, innate faculties.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/main. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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