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
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
The old standbys are still there.
—Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
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
The old standbys are still there.
—Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standbys
Noun
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Entrepreneurs can look for moments where values meet action and use those as narrative anchors.—
Melissa Jun Rowley,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In the foyer, a Sol LeWitt wall drawing anchors the entry — less of a decorative accent than statement of intent.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When a reporter rattled off a few positions that are typically mainstays on special teams, Morgan agreed.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Online organic grocer Thrive Market even has a healthy swaps feature in its app that lets users scan the barcodes of mainstays to find more purportedly virtuous brands.—
Sarah Todd,
STAT,
22 Apr. 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
-
Downriver from the Shoshone Falls are the Pillar Falls, a low waterfall split by rock pillars.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
-
As their mutual competitiveness grows shockingly ugly, Niall learns to turn Ruben’s Samsonian strength and fury against him, knocking down the pillars of Ruben’s own life.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standbys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standbys. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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