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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainstays
Noun
-
With an early Season 3 renewal already secured, Your Friends & Neighbors continues to build on its sharp examination of privilege, consequence and the human need for connection, with Hall’s Ali Cooper emerging as one of its more compelling emotional anchors.—
Scott Shilstone,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2026
-
To stabilize the suspension system, tunnel anchors (deep chambers in the rock to secure the main cables) were dug about 310 feet (94 meters) deep for each bridge tower.—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 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
-
For 80 years, the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) has been one of those indispensable pillars of service.—
Robert J Bianchi,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Steel support pillars driven into the caves have caused rust and iron pollution in the water, and falling stalactites are making some cenotes unsafe to explore.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mainstays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainstays. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
