as in anchors
something or someone to which one looks for support
our old standby in times of trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of standbys
While the appetite for $500-per-person omakase may be cooling slightly, Indian and Levantine spots are as in-demand as the city’s classic steakhouses and French and Italian standbys.
—
Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
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
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
Readers chose plenty of old standbys, but a few impressive upstarts are also on the hot list.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Roadside spots serve up standbys like barbecue and the national dish of fish and fungi.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
This striking crimson suit is one of the princess’s standbys for significant events.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026
To make the look seasonally apropos, put thought into color, pattern, and material; designs that incorporate warm-weather standbys like pastels, florals, and chiffon are always good ideas.
—Alison Syrett Cleary, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
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
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
Readers chose plenty of old standbys, but a few impressive upstarts are also on the hot list.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Roadside spots serve up standbys like barbecue and the national dish of fish and fungi.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
This striking crimson suit is one of the princess’s standbys for significant events.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026
To make the look seasonally apropos, put thought into color, pattern, and material; designs that incorporate warm-weather standbys like pastels, florals, and chiffon are always good ideas.
—Alison Syrett Cleary, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standbys
Noun
-
In early 2021, anchors from large container ships hooked an underwater oil pipeline on the ocean floor some 5 miles off Huntington Beach’s coast, bending it like a straw.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
-
As key anchors, Courseau’s signature restaurants have transformed the neighborhood into a vibrant, diverse, sophisticated, Dallas-proud destination.—
Claudia Alarcón,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Also included are mainstays of podcast advertisements including the powder supplement maker AG1 and the robo-advisor pioneer Betterment as well as the online ticket marketplace SeatGeek.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
-
Denver finalized multi-year deals with multi-year mainstays Strnad and Singleton, cut 2025 signee Dre Greenlaw, and immediately set the precedent for an offseason of unprecedented veteran retention.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
31 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
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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
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But merger enforcement should remain focused on competition and the potential for consumer and worker harm — the core pillars of antitrust — not political disagreements over content or viewpoint.—
Bill Lockyer,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
-
In information technology, the highest company score — the average of the orientation and implementation pillars — and the only 100, went to chipmaker Nvidia, which has become the world’s largest company by selling the chips and systems that have powered the development of AI models and services.—
CJ Haddad,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standbys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standbys. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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