stronghold

noun

strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld 

1

: a fortified place

2

a

: a place of security or survival

one of the last strongholds of the ancient Gaelic language

—George Holmes

b

: a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic

a Republican stronghold

strongholds of snobbery

—Lionel Trilling

Synonyms

• bastion
• castle
• citadel
• fastness
• fort
• fortification
• fortress
• hold
• redoubt

Examples of stronghold in a Sentence

The area is a Republican stronghold.

The rebels retreated to their mountain stronghold.

the last stronghold of the endangered deer

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, the Biden administration is engaged in an internal such fight, one that reflects a long-simmering debate about who should manage national strongholds of emergency medical equipment, and how. —Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 23 May 2024

Consider the Taliban’s stronghold in Kandahar, the Panjwai valley. —Matthieu Aikins Victor J. Blue Peter Ganim Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 22 May 2024

On April 30, 1975, the South Vietnamese stronghold of Saigon — now known as Ho Chi Minh City — fell to communist forces. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024

Her visit marks the first this year by either the White House or Biden-Harris campaign to Detroit, Michigan's largest city and a majority-Black Democratic stronghold. —Leah Olajide, Detroit Free Press, 7 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stronghold

noun

strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld 

: fortress