Synonyms for keystone

Most common

back bone · anchor · mainstay · linchpin · key

Synonyms by meaning

Noun

Definitions

1. n. 1

   The top stone of an arch.

2. n. 2

   Something on which other things depend for support.

Forms

Plural

keystones → linchpins, anchors, mainstays, keys…

Example sentences

• anchor A large number of boats lay at anchor in the bay.
• mainstay Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy.
• linchpin The army is the linchpin of North Korean dictatorship.
• key I left a duplicate key to the room with my mother.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters

key¹

6 letters

anchor²

8 letters

mainstay², linchpin²

9 letters

principle³, headstone²

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (anchor² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français

clef de voûte