as in primary
coming before all others in importance
this is the main point of the study—everything else is secondary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in power
muscular strength
all their might and main could not budge the stalled car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in continent
one of the great divisions of land on the globe or the main part of such a division
islanders periodically traveled back to the main for supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in core
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts
the main of the tree is still healthy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of main
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
Sean Penn co-stars as the film’s main villain, a steely-eyed colonel who looked pretty frigging scary in the footage, while Benicio del Toro is DiCaprio’s gun-toting, gonzo comrade.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025
Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
This April, the discount grocery chain is stocking its shelves with adorable decor, practical porch and patio furniture, and charming Easter tableware—plus snacks, appetizers, mains, and desserts with seasonal flair.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for main
Adjective
As previously reported, this year’s main competition jury president will be Juliette Binoche, who will oversee the choosing of the Palme d’Or and other festival awards alongside a jury yet to be announced.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
Sean Penn co-stars as the film’s main villain, a steely-eyed colonel who looked pretty frigging scary in the footage, while Benicio del Toro is DiCaprio’s gun-toting, gonzo comrade.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
San Francisco has more than 1,900 miles of sewer mains and laterals.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
This April, the discount grocery chain is stocking its shelves with adorable decor, practical porch and patio furniture, and charming Easter tableware—plus snacks, appetizers, mains, and desserts with seasonal flair.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for main
Recent Examples of Synonyms for main
Adjective
-
The port has a heavy military presence in addition to being a primary hub for fuel imports, Yemeni sources said.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Williams pointed to rising production costs and declining attendee donations as primary reasons the Silver Room Block Party could not continue, highlighting a reality that all street festival organizers face right now.—
Pamela Maass,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Everybody else has no choice, really, other than to bring a cruel, narcissistic far-right leader to power.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Because a bat has a thick barrel and rotates when swung, its motion and power depend on the distribution of weight across the entire shaft, not just in one spot.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
From Future’s Short Crewneck Sweater has earned me compliments on all seven continents.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Cairo At some point, The White Lotus should contend with the entire continent of Africa.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
General manager Chris Drury has to make decisions involving his coach, his core and the players in supporting roles.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
-
At the core of Villanueva’s challenge was the argument that how Kansas seats jurors in death penalty cases – a process called death qualification – skews capital trials.—
Jonathan Shorman,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The two main red grapes here are Syrah and Grenache, with Syrah the predominant variety in the north and Grenache holding first place in the south, where it is also blended with other grapes including Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Cinsault.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
18 Apr. 2025
-
For citizenship behavior, relationship quality was the predominant mediator.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Try it as a dynamic warm-up: Experts now generally recommend warming up the muscles with gentle movement, rather than static stretching.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Gentile cites recent research showing that proteins from phytoestrogens—whole soy foods such as edamame (soybeans) or tofu—help support muscle and increase the lean mass of older adults.—
Denise Maher,
Flow Space,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
On Monday, stocks in Japan, Hong Kong and mainland China all posted gains.—
Joe Rennison,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost around 3.4% and South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.7%, but Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed more than 1.8% and mainland China’s CSI 300 added roughly 0.5%.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Other mothers told me that some of their darkest moments came when their own body didn’t cooperate.—
Jessica Slice,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Marcelle Bacchus, McAlmont's aunt, said in an April 11 Facebook post that the victim's body was supposed to be released from a mortuary on April 10 but was not released due to a spelling error with his name.—
Audrey Conklin,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/main. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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