as in anchors
something or someone to which one looks for support
Mom has been our mainstay in this crisis
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 mainstays
Pittsburgh enters Week 8 of the season with a 5-2 record but will now have to navigate the rest of the season without one of their mainstays and one of the NFL's best special teamers.
—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
There are a few reliable mainstays of toddler life, though.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 17 Oct. 2025
The streaming-only deal is the latest such move in the sports world, which has seen mainstays like the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball all expand beyond linear TV and into streaming.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
On the runways, personality shined bright—follow suit by styling and layering your own mainstays with statement pieces for looks that feel modern yet repeatable.
—Minty Mellon, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2025
Warner and fellow 49ers stars Williams and tight end George Kittle were mainstays on the two 49ers teams that reached recent Super Bowls.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Chilmoli's name pays homage to the authentic flavors of chili and molli, mainstays of authentic Mexican cuisine.
—Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The mainstays were Stankoven, Blake and Hall, with Miller, Walker and Nikishin all seeing time in a two-defensemen look.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The camaraderie between the eight mainstays is clear as the actors hug each other arriving to talk to media outlets.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Oct. 2025
Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
There are a few reliable mainstays of toddler life, though.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 17 Oct. 2025
The streaming-only deal is the latest such move in the sports world, which has seen mainstays like the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball all expand beyond linear TV and into streaming.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
On the runways, personality shined bright—follow suit by styling and layering your own mainstays with statement pieces for looks that feel modern yet repeatable.
—Minty Mellon, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2025
Warner and fellow 49ers stars Williams and tight end George Kittle were mainstays on the two 49ers teams that reached recent Super Bowls.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Chilmoli's name pays homage to the authentic flavors of chili and molli, mainstays of authentic Mexican cuisine.
—Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
The mainstays were Stankoven, Blake and Hall, with Miller, Walker and Nikishin all seeing time in a two-defensemen look.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
The camaraderie between the eight mainstays is clear as the actors hug each other arriving to talk to media outlets.
—Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainstays
Noun
-
Later in the show, the co-anchors met the couple in person on the Plaza marveling at Rachel’s massive rectangular-cut ring.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Rather than relying on one or two offensive anchors, Charlotte distributed scoring across its lineup.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Driving trucks is one of the unappreciated backbones of modern civilization.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Platform product management is rarely treated as a strategic, first-class discipline, resulting in fragmented backbones that fail to support enterprise-wide innovation.—
Gaurav Dixit,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
From cozy cashmere knitwear to fine-gauge standbys from Vince and Iro, there are tons of goodies.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The oversized blazer Boxy suit jackets have become fashion-industry standbys.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Removing the roof required a fair amount of engineering to ensure torsional rigidity, including strengthening the door sills, A-pillars, and adding cross-body braces.—
Sean Evans,
Robb Report,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Key pillars include driving innovation, such as using AI in retail, prioritizing sustainability through its Net Zero roadmap and fostering a people-first culture that emphasizes well-being and diversity.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mainstays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainstays. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share