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
The five remaining mainstays from the Celtics’ 2023-24 title-winning roster — Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard and Hauser — form the spine of this year’s squad.
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Regional mainstays such as The Third Line, Lawrie Shabibi, Carbon 12, Ayyam Gallery, and Tabari Artspace will be joined by international galleries including Perrotin, Galleria Continua, Waddington Custot, and Galerie Frank Elbaz.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Verbeek also parted ways with Ducks mainstays Cam Fowler and John Gibson in recent years, clearing payroll room and playing time for the Ducks’ young talent.
—Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Some former agenda mainstays — such as periodic updates on the group’s long-standing lighting and monument sign projects, information on how to coexist with wildlife and reports about Bird Rock committees — have been notably absent in recent months.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Must-have Peruvian dishes, including ceviches ($21-$25), lomo saltado ($31) and aji de gallina ($26), are menu mainstays, with some more familiar American options like salads available as well.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The sprawling gardens surrounding the hotel, designed by Xavier de Chirac, complement the building’s majestic architecture—Irish yews, white hydrangeas, azaleas and rhododendrons, and Japanese maples, to name a few mainstays.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
One can also expect changes on the blue line, with mainstays Luke Mittelstadt and Cal Thomas graduating, and justifiable concerns about a porous back end that was clearly a weak spot last season.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Dawn Staley and South Carolina are mainstays in the Final Four while TCU is looking to reach March Madness ' biggest stage for the first time.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Regional mainstays such as The Third Line, Lawrie Shabibi, Carbon 12, Ayyam Gallery, and Tabari Artspace will be joined by international galleries including Perrotin, Galleria Continua, Waddington Custot, and Galerie Frank Elbaz.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Verbeek also parted ways with Ducks mainstays Cam Fowler and John Gibson in recent years, clearing payroll room and playing time for the Ducks’ young talent.
—Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Some former agenda mainstays — such as periodic updates on the group’s long-standing lighting and monument sign projects, information on how to coexist with wildlife and reports about Bird Rock committees — have been notably absent in recent months.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Must-have Peruvian dishes, including ceviches ($21-$25), lomo saltado ($31) and aji de gallina ($26), are menu mainstays, with some more familiar American options like salads available as well.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The sprawling gardens surrounding the hotel, designed by Xavier de Chirac, complement the building’s majestic architecture—Irish yews, white hydrangeas, azaleas and rhododendrons, and Japanese maples, to name a few mainstays.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
One can also expect changes on the blue line, with mainstays Luke Mittelstadt and Cal Thomas graduating, and justifiable concerns about a porous back end that was clearly a weak spot last season.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Dawn Staley and South Carolina are mainstays in the Final Four while TCU is looking to reach March Madness ' biggest stage for the first time.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainstays
Noun
-
Gateway Centre’s primary anchors are a Lucky supermarket and Dollar Tree discount store.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Johnson was arguably the top performer of the spring with multiple interceptions, while Carroll and Din-Mbuh were anchors in the middle.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hundreds of animals with backbones are still being discovered every single year.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
-
To start the new Mideast war, Donnie acted on his own with no resistance from his sycophants, who have no backbones.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Spring’s touring theater productions are a mix of old standbys and new shows.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Prep school standbys were seen across the runways for spring 2026, and are now trickling into transitional outerwear looks, with the help of a major wardrobe hero piece.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The two pillars of private markets have become deeply intertwined over the past decade, with direct lenders stepping in as a key financing engine for buyouts after banks retreated following the global financial crisis, according to industry veterans.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Along with North, last year’s inaugural class included Kansas City arts pillars such as visual artist Harold Smith, drum and dance instructor Danny Hinds and singer Darcus Speed Gates, reflecting the range of disciplines the awards aim to recognize.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mainstays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainstays. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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