Synonyms for backbone

Noun

1. anchor, mainstay, keystone, backbone, linchpin, lynchpin, support

usage: a central cohesive source of support and stability; "faith is his anchor"; "the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money"; "he is the linchpin of this firm"

2. backbone, grit, guts, moxie, sand, gumption, fortitude

usage: fortitude and determination; "he didn't have the guts to try it"

3. spinal column, vertebral column, spine, backbone, back, rachis, skeletal structure

usage: the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord; "the fall broke his back"

4. backbone, connection, connexion, connector, connecter, connective

usage: the part of a network that connects other networks together; "the backbone is the part of a communication network that carries the heaviest traffic"