anchor

American  

[ang-ker] / ˈæŋ kər /

noun

• anchors
  plural

1. any of various devices dropped by a chain, cable, or rope to the bottom of a body of water for preventing or restricting the motion of a vessel or other floating object, typically having broad, hooklike arms that bury themselves in the bottom to provide a firm hold.

2. any similar device for holding fast or checking motion.

   an anchor of stones.

3. any device for securing a suspension or cantilever bridge at either end.

4. any of various devices, as a metal tie, for binding one part of a structure to another.

5. a person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability, or security; mainstay.

   Hope was his only anchor.

6. Radio and Television. Also a person who is the main broadcaster on a program of news, sports, etc., and who usually also serves as coordinator of all participating broadcasters during the program; anchorman or anchorwoman; anchorperson.

7. Television. a program that attracts many viewers who are likely to stay tuned to the network for the programs that follow.

8. Also called anchor store.  a well-known store, especially a department store, that attracts customers to the shopping center in which it is located.

9. Slang. automotive brakes.

10. Military. a key position in defense lines.

11. Sports. Also

    1. the person on a team, especially a relay team, who competes last.

    2. the person farthest to the rear on a tug-of-war team.

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verb (used with object)

• anchors,
  present (3rd person singular)
• anchored,
  past participle,  past
• anchoring
  present participle

1. to hold fast by an anchor.

2. to fix or fasten; affix firmly.

   The button was anchored to the cloth with heavy thread.

3. to act or serve as an anchor for.

   He anchored the evening news.

verb (used without object)

• anchors,
  present (3rd person singular)
• anchored,
  past participle,  past
• anchoring
  present participle

1. to drop anchor; lie or ride at anchor.

   The ship anchored at dawn.

2. to keep hold or be firmly fixed.

   The insect anchored fast to its prey.

3. Sports, Radio and Television. to act or serve as an anchor.

idioms

1. drop anchor, to anchor a vessel.

   They dropped anchor in a bay to escape the storm.

2. drag anchor, (of a vessel) to move with a current or wind because an anchor has failed to hold.

3. weigh anchor, to raise the anchor.

   We will weigh anchor at dawn.

4. at anchor, held in place by an anchor.

   The luxury liner is at anchor in the harbor.

anchor British  

/ ˈæŋkə /

noun

1. any of several devices, usually of steel, attached to a vessel by a cable and dropped overboard so as to grip the bottom and restrict the vessel's movement

2. an object used to hold something else firmly in place

   the rock provided an anchor for the rope

3. a source of stability or security

   religion was his anchor

4. 1. a metal cramp, bolt, or similar fitting, esp one used to make a connection to masonry

   2. ( as modifier )

      anchor bolt

      anchor plate

5. 1. the rear person in a tug-of-war team

   2. short for anchorman anchorwoman

6. (of a vessel) anchored

7. to anchor a vessel

8. See drag

9. to be anchored

10. to raise a vessel's anchor or (of a vessel) to have its anchor raised in preparation for departure

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verb

1. to use an anchor to hold (a vessel) in one place

2. to fasten or be fastened securely; fix or become fixed firmly

3. (tr) radio television to act as an anchorman on

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reanchor
  verb
• anchorable
  adjective
• anchorless
  adjective
• anchorlike
  adjective
• unanchored
  adjective
• well-anchored
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• anchors
  plural

Participles

• anchoring
  present
• anchored
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• anchor
  simple
• anchors
  simple
• have anchored
  perfect
• has anchored
  perfect
• am anchoring
  progressive
• are anchoring
  progressive
• is anchoring
  progressive
• have been anchoring
  perfect progressive
• has been anchoring
  perfect progressive

Past

• anchored
  simple
• had anchored
  perfect
• was anchoring
  progressive
• were anchoring
  progressive
• had been anchoring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will anchor
  simple
• will have anchored
  perfect
• will be anchoring
  progressive
• will have been anchoring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of anchor

First recorded before 900; Middle English anker, ancre, Old English ancor, ancer, ancra (compare Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German anker ), from Latin anc(h)ora, from Greek ánkȳra

Explanation

On a boat, an anchor is a heavy object attached to a rope. You toss it overboard, it sinks to the bottom, and your vessel doesn't move. Anchor has the sense of what holds something in place. When you anchor a bookshelf to the wall, you affix it to the wall so it won't come down. The anchor of a relay race is the last person to run. It's their job to hold the team's lead. And on televised news, the anchor is the person who is front and center delivering the current events, the one who draws viewers to the news on that particular station.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anchor anchors anchored anchoring

To borrow a quote from the late great “SportsCenter” anchor Stuart Scott…Booyah!

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

News anchor Zuhal was pushed out of her job after a series of Taliban orders.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Whoa! We are having an earthquake. Our whole studio just shook. That was pretty big, I can tell you. The desk shook, the lights shook,” one anchor said, as an overhead light trembled slightly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

But Ubolwan Kongsawang, a regional volunteer with Thialand's Stop Drinking Network, said the Buddhist Lent campaign provides a "spiritual anchor" that boosts motivation.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

Walter Cronkite, anchor of the nation’s most watched TV news program, summed up the mood of the country.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Holland became one of the anchors of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Spider-Man and also led the videogame blockbuster “Uncharted” in 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Tuchel has, in essence, built his England using a Premier League template in style and system, with a back four, midfield anchors in Rice and Elliot, Bellingham at '10', then two orthodox wide men.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

The relative predictability of baking, putting together ingredients with a tasty outcome, anchors listless days.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

A shell-adorned mirror anchors the wall facing the windows and built-in shelving, making the room feel larger.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

The anchors surged up out of the water.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

It certainly helps that this family is firmly anchored by Lynskey, who proves, yet again, that she can do anything.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Meanwhile, those on vessels anchored near Oman occasionally hear the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

“The spacious living room is anchored by a wood-burning fireplace and filled with natural light, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for everyday living and entertaining,” the listing reads.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Ostensibly anchored to the dancefloor, it's a record that uses dance music to shake the listener out of complacency.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

The Godspeed and the Discovery are anchored nearby as well.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Unlike virtual dark tourism that allows for “armchair travel” to real-world dark heritage sites, there is no physical location anchoring the Backrooms nor any historical tragedy to commemorate.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Pollution, and disturbance from anchoring, bottom trawling and dredging and coastal development have all contributed to its decline, the trust said.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

Bank Indonesia increased its benchmark seven-day reverse repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.75%, extending a tightening cycle aimed at anchoring inflation expectations and stabilizing the currency amid persistent dollar strength and capital outflows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

First, how does the family fund long-term care without liquidating the retirement assets that are anchoring the financial plan?

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026

His devotion to its progress, like his devotion to the church, was the anchoring force in my life throughout this past summer.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• attach
• dock
• fasten
• fix
• moor
• secure
• tie up