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
Deviled eggs and potato salad are two undeniable Southern mainstays.
—
Brennan Long, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Canada’s opener the following day in Toronto reportedly leans into national pride with Canadian mainstays Bublé, Morissette and Alessia Cara expected to perform before Canada takes on Bosnia & Herzegovina.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 8 May 2026
Though none of these stars are mainstays on Thursday nights anymore, this powerful foursome has been responsible for some epic TV moments over the years.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
The Nashville mainstays recorded Punching the Clown with Ryan Olson on production and Justin Vernon moonlighting on the banjo throughout.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 6 May 2026
Sexton also makes a guest appearance on Fault Lines, along with Texas mainstays Jon Randall and Jack Ingram.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2026
In general, though, Kraus’s books have been mainstays on horror shelves for years.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Agriculture is still one of Florida’s economic mainstays with more than 44,000 farms covering nearly 10 million acres.
—The Virginian Pilot and Daily Press Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
So even though the Animated and Reality Competition Program categories have their mainstays, no one show looms over all the others to where the winner is obvious each time.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Brennan Long, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
Canada’s opener the following day in Toronto reportedly leans into national pride with Canadian mainstays Bublé, Morissette and Alessia Cara expected to perform before Canada takes on Bosnia & Herzegovina.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 8 May 2026
Though none of these stars are mainstays on Thursday nights anymore, this powerful foursome has been responsible for some epic TV moments over the years.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
The Nashville mainstays recorded Punching the Clown with Ryan Olson on production and Justin Vernon moonlighting on the banjo throughout.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 6 May 2026
Sexton also makes a guest appearance on Fault Lines, along with Texas mainstays Jon Randall and Jack Ingram.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2026
In general, though, Kraus’s books have been mainstays on horror shelves for years.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Agriculture is still one of Florida’s economic mainstays with more than 44,000 farms covering nearly 10 million acres.
—The Virginian Pilot and Daily Press Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
So even though the Animated and Reality Competition Program categories have their mainstays, no one show looms over all the others to where the winner is obvious each time.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainstays
Noun
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Across its news programs on television, digital and streaming, the award-winning team of anchors and correspondents delivers the latest breaking news, on-the-ground reporting and in-depth analysis on the most important issues impacting Latinos.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
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Once the most powerful jobs in television, evening anchors like Tony Dokoupil now occupy a more symbolic perch.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
As songwriters, the Ottavianos usually only needed a metaphor, a single beautiful image, or a fun double entendre to serve as narrative backbones.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
26 Apr. 2026
-
There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates — creatures without backbones — weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At last month’s Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim — one of the world’s largest food trade shows — old standbys finding fresh roles and unexpected places to shine was the buzz.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Spring’s touring theater productions are a mix of old standbys and new shows.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Alongside schools and transportation, public safety is one of the foundational pillars of a strong and growing county.—
Nick Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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Give me 20 ideas across my content pillars of [list 3-4 themes].—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mainstays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainstays. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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