foothold
noun
foot·hold
ˈfu̇t-ˌhōld 
1
: a hold for the feet : footing
2
: a position usable as a base for further advance
Examples of foothold in a Sentence
The army gained a foothold on the island.
The company has secured a foothold in the market.
Recent Examples on the Web
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has backed separatist forces in the breakaway Transnistria region, as a foothold to keep up pressure on the central government in Chișinău.
—
John E. Herbst, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
These carvings sit just above a ledge barely wide enough to get a foothold, on a sheer rock face more than 100 feet high.
—Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
He’s widely credited as one of the foremost forces that have given Spanish-language music such a prominent foothold in the United States on a mainstream level, and will be bringing that now to the biggest stage in the world.
—Dan Rys, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2025
The first troops to land would have to seize a foothold in Taiwanese territory before allowing follow-on PLA forces to flow into Taiwan.
—Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foothold
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John E. Herbst, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
These carvings sit just above a ledge barely wide enough to get a foothold, on a sheer rock face more than 100 feet high.
—Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
He’s widely credited as one of the foremost forces that have given Spanish-language music such a prominent foothold in the United States on a mainstream level, and will be bringing that now to the biggest stage in the world.
—Dan Rys, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2025
The first troops to land would have to seize a foothold in Taiwanese territory before allowing follow-on PLA forces to flow into Taiwan.
—Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foothold
Cite this Entry
“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foothold. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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