as in anchors
something or someone to which one looks for support
Mom has been our mainstay in this crisis
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Recent Examples of mainstays
At the pancake breakfasts, Opus Dei priests mixed with other priests, and Prevost got to know the prominent locals who were mainstays of the movement.
—
Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Other mainstays of the week, including Disney, YouTube, Netflix and TelevisaUnivision, have not confirmed their plans.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
The physical toll being put on the mainstays in the squad looked to be telling on some.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Jordin Sauls and Ginger Younger have also been mainstays for the Green Wave.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
With TikTok globalizing the category, Korean skincare brands once found primarily at specialty retailers like Soko Glam and YesStyle have become mainstays at North American beauty giants such as Ulta and Sephora.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2025
Other similar retailers that are often mainstays in shopping malls have struggled to keep locations open in recent years.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
On Halloween, Murphy revealed the cast for the upcoming 13th season of American Horror Story, which is set to star Oscar nominee Ariana Grande, returning series regular Jessica Lange, as well as mainstays Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 5 Nov. 2025
Antonio Cardamuro, president and founder, said the brand’s mainstays — yellow gold, mosaics of various colors in a single piece — have been performing well at retail.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Other mainstays of the week, including Disney, YouTube, Netflix and TelevisaUnivision, have not confirmed their plans.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
The physical toll being put on the mainstays in the squad looked to be telling on some.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Jordin Sauls and Ginger Younger have also been mainstays for the Green Wave.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
With TikTok globalizing the category, Korean skincare brands once found primarily at specialty retailers like Soko Glam and YesStyle have become mainstays at North American beauty giants such as Ulta and Sephora.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2025
Other similar retailers that are often mainstays in shopping malls have struggled to keep locations open in recent years.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
On Halloween, Murphy revealed the cast for the upcoming 13th season of American Horror Story, which is set to star Oscar nominee Ariana Grande, returning series regular Jessica Lange, as well as mainstays Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 5 Nov. 2025
Antonio Cardamuro, president and founder, said the brand’s mainstays — yellow gold, mosaics of various colors in a single piece — have been performing well at retail.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainstays
Noun
-
Past colleagues who have stepped in include Saturday Today co-anchors Peter Alexander and Laura Jarrett, as well as Sunday Today host Willie Geist.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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Much of the filming in Rhode Island was of iconic sights as establishing shots to anchors the story in Rhode Island.—
Paul Edward Parker,
The Providence Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Discovered in 1981, the tiny backbones — just a few millimeters long — had not received much attention historically.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Nov. 2025
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Driving trucks is one of the unappreciated backbones of modern civilization.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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From cozy cashmere knitwear to fine-gauge standbys from Vince and Iro, there are tons of goodies.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
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The oversized blazer Boxy suit jackets have become fashion-industry standbys.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Contemporary accounts speak to the cruelty and exploitation that were pillars of economies of the time.—
Valerie L. Myers,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
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The geologic monocline extends almost 100 miles and is surrounded by white sandstone domes, towering monoliths, and otherworldly pillars and arches.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mainstays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainstays. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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