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
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Recent Examples of main
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2025
The film will compete for CPH:DOX’s main prize the €10,000 ($10,700) DOX:Award, to be handed out March 28.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Dig in: The menu, styled as a vinyl record jacket, features classic and bespoke cocktails in the $15 range, plus a handful of tantalizing appetizers and mains.
—Sam Allard, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for main
Adjective
In the legacy semiconductor businesses, revenue fell 9% sequentially to $4.1 billion due to the seasonal decline in wireless, whose main customer is Club name Apple.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2025
The film will compete for CPH:DOX’s main prize the €10,000 ($10,700) DOX:Award, to be handed out March 28.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
Accessories bundled with the Edge 21 include an HDMI cable, USB-C cable, plus a power adapter with a cloverleaf mains lead.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Dig in: The menu, styled as a vinyl record jacket, features classic and bespoke cocktails in the $15 range, plus a handful of tantalizing appetizers and mains.
—Sam Allard, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for main
Recent Examples of Synonyms for main
Adjective
-
The interface consists of selecting a primary tool and then a contextual menu at the bottom of the screen with the options for that tool.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
1 Mar. 2025
-
The money could give him a significant edge with just four months to go until the primary election.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
That power is vested in prosecutors as executive branch officials.—
Michael Rothfeld,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Her lung power seems surprisingly undiminished, and the same goes for her sense of pitch.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
My travel writing has also been printed in dozens of international publications across six continents.—
Kaitlyn McInnis,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Eurasian conflicts shattered continents and confronted humanity with the risk of atomic annihilation.—
HAL BRANDS,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Teams offers many of the same core features of Skype, including one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing along with enhanced elements like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2025
-
But then Whitman stepped down as CEO, making way for former Bain executive John Donahoe, who didn’t think eBay’s core businesses were benefiting from the Skype transaction.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Here’s how Stein went from making muffin mixes in her New York apartment’s kitchen to building one of the country’s predominant granola brands.—
Ryan Johnston,Zachary Green,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The predominant tone in the conspiracy films of the 1970s is futility.—
Chris Vognar,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The muscles around the knee tend to shut down and shrink with startling rapidity once all that inflammation builds up around a torn ACL.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Protein serves as the building block for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The designer opened his first mainland China store in Shanghai, and his first U.S. store in Los Angeles in 2020, followed by a location in Chengdu, China, in 2022.—
Miles Socha,
WWD,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.36% in its last hour of trade while mainland China’s CSI 300 dipped 1.11% to 3,925.65 amid escalating trade tensions with the U.S.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Ashton is a really good player, but Anthonie’s body screams center to me.—
Pete Sampson,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Meal timing affects how your body uses energy, and eating late can throw off your body's natural rhythms.9 10.—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Main.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/main. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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