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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Snook is excellent at playing tremulous and overwhelming feeling without ever seeming hammy or phony, and Marissa’s raw emotion anchors All Her Fault in something real even as the plot reveals grow increasingly (and enjoyably) outrageous.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
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Both business and government should serve as these anchors for economic security.—
Shilpan Amin,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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On Halloween, Murphy revealed the cast for the upcoming 13th season of American Horror Story, which is set to star Oscar nominee Ariana Grande, returning series regular Jessica Lange, as well as mainstays Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
5 Nov. 2025
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Antonio Cardamuro, president and founder, said the brand’s mainstays — yellow gold, mosaics of various colors in a single piece — have been performing well at retail.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
4 Nov. 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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My first apartment on 15th and Union Square was a studio in a classy old building with marble pillars, one small room with a bigger bathroom and strangely an even bigger closet.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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The lobby's grand pillars and coffered ceilings exude Old World elegance, while the plush furniture and stone fireplace create a cozy living room feel.—
Taylor McIntyre,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Standbys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standbys. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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