mainstay
[noun]
Synonyms: pillar, anchor, backbone, bulwark, buttress, lynchpin, prop

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Related Words: brace, buttress, crutch, maintainer, prop, staff, standby, stay, support, supporter, sustainer, upholder

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

main‧stay /ˈmeɪnsteɪ/ noun
the mainstay of something
a) an important part of something that makes it possible for it to work properly or continue to exist:
Agriculture is still the mainstay of the country’s economy.
b) someone who does most of the important work for a group or organization:
She was the mainstay of the team.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲