anchor 1 of 2

noun

ˈaŋ-kər How to pronounce anchor (audio)
Definition of anchornext
1
as in newscaster
one who reads and introduces news reports on a news program the news anchor coordinated the reports of the correspondents from around the state

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2
as in backbone
something or someone to which one looks for support my best friend has been my anchor throughout this crisis

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anchor

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to fasten
to put securely in place or in a desired position used ropes and sandbags to anchor the hot-air balloon to the ground

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to land
to stop at or near a place along the shore we'll anchor at Praia, Cape Verde

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of anchor
Noun
Most recently working as an anchor at WTSP News in Tampa, Florida, Grace left news three years ago to focus on acting full-time. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 July 2026 But Jenn's approach to travel has always started with a single anchor. — Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026
Verb
The Royals and Crown Center officials are planning for the stadium to anchor a $3 billion entertainment district at Crown Center, a shopping and dining complex just east of Union Station. — Dylan Lysen july 29, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026 The collective improvement from Chaminade in 2025 was anchored by the growth of Williams. — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for anchor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anchor
  1. newscaster
  2. backbone
  3. fasten
  4. land
  5. broadcaster
  6. pillar
  7. secure
  8. dock
Noun
  • There’s something powerful—and, yes, stripped down—about seeing these politicians and newscasters without being able to hear their language.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
  • He was trailed by Marlene Galán-Woods, a former newscaster, in the Democratic primary for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of newscaster
Noun
  • The method became the backbone of modern geophysical prospecting, and supercharged the growth of a burgeoning oil and gas exploration industry worldwide.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 24 July 2026
  • Firms conducting focus groups were the backbone of consumer insights.
    — Anna Convery, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of backbone
Verb
  • If followers are the highest currency — an endless supply of bodies to burn through — then there’s nothing more powerful than a group ready to throw everything in this life away for the next, to fasten their flesh into sacrifices.
    — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 27 July 2026
  • That’s why, a day before the smoke plumes descended, Saxon was using zip ties to fasten an air quality sensor to the railing of a house in McKinley Park, the latest of 15 or so installations she’s done over the past few years.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Definition of fasten
Verb
  • Ring-walk timing slides with how the undercard runs, so the later fights may land earlier or later than the estimates below.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • If you’re headed north after landing at the airport, do yourself a favor and check out these places.
    — Justin Brown, AJC.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of land
Noun
  • He’s being honored as a broadcaster nearly 40 years after his father, Jack Buck, was the recipient of the same award.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • Its advisory group includes Formula 1 broadcaster Natalie Pinkham and Miami Grand Prix President Katharina Nowak.
    — Jacques Ledbetter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of broadcaster
Noun
  • To get there, their strategy called Quantum 2030 is built around five pillars.
    — Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • The Ukrainian attacks on the sprawling Russian warehouses produced stark images, with massive pillars of black smoke rising above fires that raged at facilities of Wildberries, the country’s biggest online retailer and its equivalent of Amazon.
    — Dasha Litvinova, Fortune, 24 July 2026
Definition of pillar
Verb
  • After attempts to secure locations in Overland Park and at the old Bannister Mall site fell through, Sporting Park opened in 2011 in the far-west Legends area of Kansas City, Kansas.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • That move enabled Venezuela this month to secure $346 million from its own reserve resources to fund reconstruction efforts.
    — German Padinger, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Definition of secure
Verb
  • Of those, 55,200 are docked in Miami-Dade, where they are joined by hundreds of yachts purchased oversees and registered under foreign flags.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
  • The orbital refueling demonstration will include two Starship launches, allowing the vehicles to rendezvous and dock with one another in orbit.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2026
Definition of dock

Browse Nearby Words

ancestry
anchor
anchorage
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Cite this Entry

“Anchor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anchor. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on anchor

Nglish: Translation of anchor for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about anchor

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