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
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The historic resort town of Zakopane anchors the Polish side, while Slovakia’s High Tatras deliver mountain lakes, waterfalls and flocks of sheep among rocky crests.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
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Michael Kosta hosts tonight, and the other anchors include Jon Stewart, Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng and Josh Johnson.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Noun
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During recent earnings calls with analysts, executives from American mainstays such as Walmart, McDonald’s and Dollar General cited overall shopper resilience as well as noticeable cutbacks by lower-income customers.—
Anne D’Innocenzio,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s 26-man roster features many of the mainstays from 2022 — eight started every game in Qatar — along with 13 players who will be experiencing the World Cup stage for the first time.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Even when degraded, enzymes have stable backbones that might be capable of catalyzing reactions, said Sudha Rajamani, an astrobiologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune who wasn’t involved in the study.—
Siddhant Pusdekar,
Quanta Magazine,
1 June 2026
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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
Noun
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Elsewhere, three pillars of the theatre community — André Bishop, Jules Fisher, and James Lapine — each received the 2026 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
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Lectra’s solutions support each of these pillars individually while connecting all stages of the garment lifecycle through centralized data and integrated workflows.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standbys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standbys. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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