as in anchors
something or someone to which one looks for support
our old standby in times of trouble
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of standbys
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
Where The Nun suffered from a complete and utter lack of tension, director Michael Chaves uses some classic horror standbys to build suspense.
—Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Almost always, leadership was divided, with some wanting to move away from old standbys while others argued not to rock the boat.
—Lynn Godfrey, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
The oversized blazer Boxy suit jackets have become fashion-industry standbys.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Glamour, 12 Sep. 2025
Where The Nun suffered from a complete and utter lack of tension, director Michael Chaves uses some classic horror standbys to build suspense.
—Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Almost always, leadership was divided, with some wanting to move away from old standbys while others argued not to rock the boat.
—Lynn Godfrey, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standbys
Noun
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After divorcing their previous partners and publicizing their relationship, the ex-GMA3 co-anchors hit many relationship milestones, including moving in together.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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The former co-anchors made the decision to marry about a month ago.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Some mainstays will be a part of the Yankees' future, but there is room for the front office to make changes this offseason.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Driving trucks is one of the unappreciated backbones of modern civilization.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Sep. 2025
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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
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In a matter of hours, the pillars of an entire system of repression had not simply collapsed.—
Danny Makki,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Fasting, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, is a vital part of Ramadan, the holy period that marks the month when Muslims believe the angel Gabriel first revealed the Quran, Islam’s central religious text, to the Prophet Muhammad.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Standbys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standbys. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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