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
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Recent Examples of main
Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Dawn’s main character, Lilith, awakens in the care of an alien species long after Earth has been destroyed by nuclear war.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Laura Itzkowitz, Robb Report, 4 June 2026
Try bar bites like Mission Street guacamole, Dungeness crab rolls, or Mary’s chicken sliders, then move on to mains like Lobster Thermidor, 14-day dry-aged Flannery Beef, and roasted butternut squash ravioli.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for main
Adjective
The stylistic eccentricities have been dialed back, including the use of old Hollywood film clips to reflect the action and possibly the thoughts of its main character, a cinephile from space, who is both practicing and enacting the work of a private detective.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Dawn’s main character, Lilith, awakens in the care of an alien species long after Earth has been destroyed by nuclear war.
—Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
Noun
JKCafé serves club sandwiches and Caesar salads in addition to classic Roman pastas and mains.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Robb Report, 4 June 2026
Try bar bites like Mission Street guacamole, Dungeness crab rolls, or Mary’s chicken sliders, then move on to mains like Lobster Thermidor, 14-day dry-aged Flannery Beef, and roasted butternut squash ravioli.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for main
Recent Examples of Synonyms for main
Adjective
-
National Institutes of Health announced that the agency, along with researchers from the University of Florida, would begin clinical trials on mitragynine, the primary psychoactive compound in kratom, to evaluate its potential as a treatment for opioid use disorder.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Furthermore, buildings must now identify backup service providers to ensure repairs can be made even if primary companies are unavailable or out of business.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
To put these figures in perspective, the entire city of San Francisco consumes about 1 gigawatt of power.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
-
The Hermosa Beach Pier closed Sunday morning after a truck collided with nearby power lines.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
Eisenhower’s national security team subsequently plotted to overthrow no fewer than three different democracies on three different continents over the course of his eight years.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
-
The residency and citizenship planning advisory firm has published its inaugural guide to the World’s Most Livable Cities for Expats, pitting 35 cities across six continents against one another to assess the best locations for the increasing number of citizens seeking new opportunities.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Keep a core of year-round basics, then rotate a few season-specific pieces in and out as the weather turns.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
-
The home and core ranges reflected strong loyalty between these areas less than 258 miles apart.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
American resumes flights American Airlines, the predominant carrier at Miami International Airport, resumed its service to Venezuela between Miami and Caracas in late April after a multi-year hiatus.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
-
During the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, Busch was honored on the 18th lap of the race, 18 being the predominant number on his stock car.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Sprinting entails pushing off with your feet and abruptly activating your calf muscles.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Symptoms include muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration.—
Dorany Pineda,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
The Na Pali Coast rises in steep green cliffs, Waimea Canyon cuts deep in rust‑red layers, and the island’s small towns move at a pace that feels decades slower than the mainland.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
17 June 2026
-
The remarks come as Beijing has intensified scrutiny of capital markets this year, including a regulatory crackdown on cross-border stock trading by mainland investors, and reflect growing concern that the AI rally sweeping Chinese equities has created openings for market abuse.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
On Tuesday, Emeryville police announced the body had been identified as 30-year-old Marcus Moore.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
On Monday, the Overland Park Police reported that Lieurance’s body had been discovered in his vehicle the evening before on June 14, in the lake alongside Joe Bald Park in Kimberling City, Missouri, about 18 miles east of Branson.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/main. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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