mainstays
Reliable central elements
Mainstays are things that provide essential, reliable support—the foundations you depend on.
Rice and beans are mainstays of many cuisines.
A business has its mainstays: steady customers, core products, trusted employees.
Tourism has been a mainstay of the local economy for decades.
The word comes from sailing, where the mainstay is the rope supporting the main mast.
Small metal paper-binders
- basicsFoundational knowledge of something
- essentialsIndispensable items or elements
- necessitiesWhat you cannot lack
- constantsUnchanging fixed values
fixtures · standbys · go-tos · regulars · workhorses · must-haves · standards · classics
Solid stone underground
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- backboneVertebral column, or courage
- anchorSecures ships to seabed
- pillarUpright architectural support
keystone · underpinning · groundwork · base · framework · core · infrastructure · linchpin
Consistent trustworthy nature
- steadfastnessFirm loyal dedication
- consistencyReliable adherence to standards
- trustworthinessQuality of being reliable
- stabilityResistance to displacement
durability · resilience · permanence · endurance · faithfulness · constancy · persistence · firmness
staples
Small metal paper-binders
- basicsFoundational knowledge of something
- essentialsIndispensable items or elements
- necessitiesWhat you cannot lack
constants · fixtures · standbys · go-tos · regulars · workhorses · must-haves · standards · classics · reliables
bedrock
Solid stone underground
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
- backboneVertebral column, or courage
- anchorSecures ships to seabed
pillar · keystone · underpinning · groundwork · base · framework · core · infrastructure · linchpin · fulcrum
dependability
Consistent trustworthy nature
- steadfastnessFirm loyal dedication
- consistencyReliable adherence to standards
- trustworthinessQuality of being reliable
stability · durability · resilience · permanence · endurance · faithfulness · constancy · persistence · firmness · solidity
- go-tosfavorites, staples, standbys, regulars, first choices
- regularsregulars, habitues, frequenters, usuals, familiar faces
- reliablesstaples, standbys, stalwarts, dependables, reliables
- Key Playerskey players, MVPs, all-stars, franchise players, elite players
- loyal supportersdiehards, loyalists, devotees, die-hard fans, true believers
- VIPscelebrities, superstars, head of state, stars, legend
mainstaysfads
Short-lived popular phenomena
flashes in the pan · novelties · crazes · one-hit wonders · ephemera
mainstaysperipherals
External computer equipment
frills · nonessentials · extras · afterthoughts · accessories
mainstayswild cards
Substitutable values or unknowns
uncertainties · loose cannons · variables · gambles · question marks