keystone

noun

ˈkē-ˌstōn How to pronounce keystone (audio)
Definition of keystonenext
as in cornerstone
an immaterial thing upon which something else rests a sense of history is the keystone to the city's draw as a tourist destination

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 keystone Hartford Bonanza is always meant to be a keystone summer event. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 Tales of what happened at Roswell have grown in the telling so that it’s now seen as a keystone event by many true believers in the alien origins of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 12 June 2026 Housing is the keystone that impacts multiple issues most important to San Jose’s residents. — Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 26 May 2026 And for United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, a keystone habit for leading the $30 billion airline is taking a 20-minute nap on the floor, which his staff initially found bizarre. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for keystone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keystone
  1. cornerstone
  2. basis
  3. foundation
  4. bedrock
Noun
  • In the early ‘60s, the Tower Theater’s films entertained Cuban refugees and introduced them to American culture, making the theater a cultural cornerstone for the local Cuban community.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy.
    — Kica Matos, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of cornerstone
Noun
  • Pricing Happy Head’s topical solution is billed on a monthly basis, with a single bottle containing two ounces of treatment solution.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Rice had a side hustle as a vintage dealer and brought in plenty of pieces from the same era, including 1950s sofas by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, a pair of 1970s blue suede armchairs, and benches from France with colorful bases.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of basis
Noun
  • The brand built its foundation in rock ‘n’ roll under founding designers Stuart Trevor and Kait Bolongaro in 1994.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Terps football player Zion Elee and his family delivered about 300 backpacks Monday as part of a foundation effort that has distributed roughly 750 across the Baltimore area.
    — Michael Howes, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of foundation
Noun
  • Scientists who studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier high in the Himalayan region had collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it.
    — Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • This is the political bedrock of that, and people are just tired of the massive Hindu-Muslim-who-is-to-be-hated sentiment.
    — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of bedrock

Browse Nearby Words

keys
keystone
keystones
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Keystone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keystone. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on keystone

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about keystone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All