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
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
On Thursday in Florida, mainstays from earlier in the season like forwards Nico Sturm and Danila Yurov, and defenseman Zach Bogosian all took a seat for the night.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Forward Evan Rodrigues, one of the few mainstays to take the ice Thursday, played just one shift and 49 seconds before exiting with a broken finger on his right hand in the Panthers’ eventual 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Amerant Bank Arena.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
San Francisco, alone, lost a wave of mainstays in 2025, including Sushi Zone in the Mid-Market neighborhood and Fog City Diner in the Embarcadero.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The two are poised to become mainstays on this year’s offensive line.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
With cultural mainstays like rice extract and buzzy compounds like several types of hyaluronic acid, these formulations offer more than straightforward sun protection.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2026
In the United States, wagons have not been driveway mainstays for decades.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 19 Mar. 2026
The result has been a huge factor in a Celtics team that has equaled more than the sum of its parts, with Queta unexpectedly bolstering a frontcourt that lost mainstays Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis in the offseason.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
On Thursday in Florida, mainstays from earlier in the season like forwards Nico Sturm and Danila Yurov, and defenseman Zach Bogosian all took a seat for the night.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Forward Evan Rodrigues, one of the few mainstays to take the ice Thursday, played just one shift and 49 seconds before exiting with a broken finger on his right hand in the Panthers’ eventual 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Amerant Bank Arena.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
San Francisco, alone, lost a wave of mainstays in 2025, including Sushi Zone in the Mid-Market neighborhood and Fog City Diner in the Embarcadero.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The two are poised to become mainstays on this year’s offensive line.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
With cultural mainstays like rice extract and buzzy compounds like several types of hyaluronic acid, these formulations offer more than straightforward sun protection.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2026
In the United States, wagons have not been driveway mainstays for decades.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 19 Mar. 2026
The result has been a huge factor in a Celtics team that has equaled more than the sum of its parts, with Queta unexpectedly bolstering a frontcourt that lost mainstays Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis in the offseason.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainstays
Noun
-
The absence of these everyday anchors has become one of the most consistent themes in community conversations.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Highlining Between Two Moving Balloons A slackline is a flat webbing, usually nylon or polyester, tensioned between two anchors like trees, buildings, or canyon walls.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
25 Mar. 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
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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
-
Science is only one of the pillars of Mashpi.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
There was a point when Matos and Marco Luciano were considered future pillars of the organization, but both former top prospects have seen their time with the Giants end in recent months.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mainstays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainstays. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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