MAINS Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

mains

noun

Definition of mains

plural of main

as in mainlands

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in weights

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of mains Start by planning the menu, including fall appetizers, mains, desserts, and seasonal drinks—and make sure to finalize the guest list a week out. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026 Over the course of several hours, a kaleidoscopic array of appetizers, mains and desserts were paraded out for the hundreds of guests wearing their Sunday finery. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026 There’s a large selection of crudos and small plates as well as pasta dishes and heartier mains. — Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2026 The device can deliver speedy phone charging and doubles as a mains power extension with a portable form factor that won’t eat up too much of your baggage allowance. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The sewer bond funds will be used to rehabilitate sewer mains, build additional green infrastructure and make upgrades to pump stations. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 Amphora is the main dinner venue, featuring select starters, mains, and desserts created by James Beard–affiliated chefs. — Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 For mains, guests were given the option of beef tenderloin with beans, sesame, and house-made Sriracha or a separate protein with summer peas and a ginger scallion sauce. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 25 July 2026 Officials are trying to determine which water agency controls the burst main, as a number of different mains intersect in the area. — Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mains

Noun

The two mainlands themselves are only 55 miles apart where Alaska's Seward Peninsula and Russia's Chukotka Peninsula sit on opposite sides of the Bering Sea.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025

Definition of mainlands

Noun

However, the model’s final hardware requirements, downloadable weights, and independent benchmark results were not publicly available at the time of the announcement.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
During its original heyday, the Alite series dipped to weights below 400 lb (181 kg) and was even popular for motorcycle camping.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of weights

Noun

And, for context on the deal, Best Buy recently restocked the M4 version of the Mac Mini with the same amount of storage (albeit with a less performant processor with fewer cores) for $799.

— Cameron Faulkner, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2026
The flagship processor will have 28 cores, mixing eight performance cores, 16 efficiency cores, and four low-power cores.

— Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of cores

Noun

The agency will coordinate with several government bodies on the background checks, such as Argentina’s State Intelligence Secretariat, Financial Information Unit, and Ministry of Security, as well as international intelligence.

— Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
That emotional shortcut, more than novelty, is what has made the scent sticky with consumers who want their homes and bodies to smell like a specific memory rather than a candy aisle.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of bodies

Noun

But with more skin-care options than ever—from niche and luxury brands to medical-grade formulas—do drugstore staples still hold up?

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
The clean, minimalist versions in the Philo lineage, think wool, clean seams, no hardware noise, are the ones that will age into wardrobe staples.

— Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of staples

Noun

The South's joint chiefs said Saturday the military stepped up surveillance and vigilance for possible further launches from the North and was closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
The news of film chiefs’ imminent exit comes as Paramount Skydance prepares for its landmark $111 billion merger with Warner Bros.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of chiefs

Noun

Wittgenstein proposed to abandon the appeal to essences for the concept of family resemblance.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
To experience a thicker, chewier noodle, order the tsukemen (dipping-style ramen) with a broth, as dense as gravy, fusing the essences of pork, chicken and fish.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of essences

Browse Nearby Words

main men

mains

mainstay

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mains. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of mains

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes