1
as in securing
to put securely in place or in a desired position
used ropes and sandbags to anchor the hot-air balloon to the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in landing
to stop at or near a place along the shore
we'll anchor at Praia, Cape Verde
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 anchoring
With overseeding, there's nothing anchoring those seeds down.
—
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Rady Tower joins Prebys Cardiovascular Institute and Jacobs Medical Center, anchoring the tallest buildings in the city’s busiest medical complex on Genesee Avenue.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
With Dunker anchoring the line, Iowa ranked in the top five in the Big Ten in the fewest sacks allowed in 2024 and 2025.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The vessel transited the Strait before anchoring east of Larak Island earlier today.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
The 2024 All-American was one of Florida’s sole bright spots during the past two seasons, anchoring an offensive line that ranked in the top 12 in the country in both run and pass blocking in 2024, per Pro Football Focus.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Scouting chatter around the league consistently linked Dallas to defensive help early, particularly a versatile, high‑IQ defender capable of anchoring the back end of the scheme.
—Bill Jones, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Instead of filling your space with a cluster of small plants, try anchoring it with one statement plant as a focal point.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026
To me, the job was extraordinarily important, and the responsibility was huge, anchoring an evening newscast.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Rady Tower joins Prebys Cardiovascular Institute and Jacobs Medical Center, anchoring the tallest buildings in the city’s busiest medical complex on Genesee Avenue.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
With Dunker anchoring the line, Iowa ranked in the top five in the Big Ten in the fewest sacks allowed in 2024 and 2025.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The vessel transited the Strait before anchoring east of Larak Island earlier today.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
The 2024 All-American was one of Florida’s sole bright spots during the past two seasons, anchoring an offensive line that ranked in the top 12 in the country in both run and pass blocking in 2024, per Pro Football Focus.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Scouting chatter around the league consistently linked Dallas to defensive help early, particularly a versatile, high‑IQ defender capable of anchoring the back end of the scheme.
—Bill Jones, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Instead of filling your space with a cluster of small plants, try anchoring it with one statement plant as a focal point.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026
To me, the job was extraordinarily important, and the responsibility was huge, anchoring an evening newscast.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anchoring
Verb
-
After securing a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals pressed their luck against another American League West opponent on Tuesday night.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The winning ticket matched all five numbers plus the Millionaire Ball in the April 27 drawing, securing the game’s top prize of $1 million a year for life, according to the Ohio Lottery.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For Roseman, the value of landing a top-15 player in the first round trumped the extra dart throws in the fourth round.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The pair collided with such force that Dumoulin got knocked up about two feet in the air before landing hard on his padded backside.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lyonne, who was reportedly boarding a red-eye flight to New York City on Delta Air Lines, was allegedly escorted off the plane after failing to follow flight instructions, per the outlet, which included closing her laptop and fastening her seatbelt before takeoff.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Unibody cars, such as the Golf, are put together with a single cab and chassis instead of fastening a body and engine to a frame like body-on-frame trucks in the USA do.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One of the most exciting events is the boat-docking contest.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Next year’s Artemis III mission will launch astronauts to Earth’s orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft on top of SLS to test rendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the Moon in 2028.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
By clamping the bag shut, the clips help keep air and moisture out, which slows staleness and helps food stay fresh longer.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Using long tongs, carefully add each tortilla to the oil, gently clamping closed for a moment to help the shell set.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Malians are already among the top three nationalities arriving on Spain’s Canary Islands, a key transit point for African migrants travelling to Europe, according to the European border agency Frontex.—
Ulf Laessing,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Since arriving on the scene almost a decade ago, the trio have presented themselves as firebrands, ready to stick it to an establishment seeking to strangle the last remnants of 20th century Irish republicanism.—
Dean Van Nguyen,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anchoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anchoring. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
