bridgehead

bridge·head | \ ˈbrij-ˌhed

How to pronounce bridgehead (audio)

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Definition of bridgehead

1a : a fortification protecting the end of a bridge nearest an enemy

b : an area around the end of a bridge

2 : an advanced position seized in hostile territory

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Examples of bridgehead in a Sentence

established a bridgehead on the beach before beginning the land invasion

Recent Examples on the Web Volkswagen AG offered to buy the rest of Navistar International Corp. in a $2.9 billion bid to secure a bridgehead in the U.S. heavy-truck market and step up its challenge to Daimler AG and Volvo AB. — Christoph Rauwald, Fortune, "VW offers $2.9 billion to buy the rest of Navistar in U.S. truck market push," 31 Jan. 2020 Although heavy losses were claimed to have been inflicted on the landing forces, the communique admitted that the Allies had strengthened their bridgehead. — Wes Gallagher, Houston Chronicle, "YANKS TAKE TOWN NEAR CHERBOURG," 9 June 2019 Mere Eglise, west coast of Cherbourg Peninsula, had fought their way through and linked up with Allied bridgehead on the east coast of the peninsula. — Wes Gallagher, Houston Chronicle, "YANKS TAKE TOWN NEAR CHERBOURG," 9 June 2019 After months of planning, deception and preparation, D-Day symbolized the moment when the Western Allies began to establish the bridgehead from which to begin their advance on Germany, even as the Soviet Red Army moved in from the East. — Alan Cowell, New York Times, "D-Day in Photos: Heroes of a More Certain Time," 6 June 2019 Calling his men to join him, Allworth swam the canal under enemy fire and rallied his troops, who then pushed back the opposing force, took 100 prisoners and secured the bridgehead for the Allied advance. — Gazette-times, OregonLive.com, "Final marker installed on Oregon's Medal of Honor Highway," 3 May 2018 The Burnaston plant was established in 1989 as Toyota’s first major bridgehead in Europe and was also a pioneer of hybrid-vehicle manufacturing. — Christopher Jasper, Bloomberg.com, "Toyota to Keep Auris in U.K. in Show of Post-Brexit Confidence," 28 Feb. 2018 The plan originally proposed raising the maximum building heights near the downtown Transit Mall and the Morrison and Hawthorne bridgeheads to increase density near public transit. — OregonLive.com, "Iconic views at risk of obstruction under proposed Portland zoning plan," 21 Jan. 2018 If the government can manage the shift in investment in Lanzhou without unleashing the excesses of the past decade, the city may eventually fill its empty tower blocks and once again become a bridgehead for China’s western development. — Bloomberg.com, "Xi Jinping’s Debt Clampdown Has Left a Trail of Dead Projects," 15 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bridgehead.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

6 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Bridgehead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridgehead. Accessed 23 Feb. 2020.

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