The use of bulky monodentate m-terphenyl ligands in the stabilisation of d-block organometallic compounds is surveyed. Importantly, these ligands have facilitated the isolation of hitherto unknown species containing low-coordinate centres and metal-metal multiple bonds. This review reports on these advances with emphasis on the synthesis, structural characterisation and, where possible, reactivity studies of complexes featuring metal-carbon bonds between m-terphenyl ligands and the transition metals.