foothold

noun

foot·​hold ˈfu̇t-ˌhōld How to pronounce foothold (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The brand already has a foothold in the U.S. at major shoe retailers including Nordstrom, Sundance Shoes in Michigan, Globe Shoe Company in Georgia, and DK Shoes in Alabama, with more doors opening soon. Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2025 The remarkable outcome compounded a broader collapse in Tehran’s strategic posture that had begun the preceding year, when Israel decimated the regime’s most valuable asset—the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah—and Iran’s foothold in Syria crumbled alongside Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025 Now, China watchers on both sides of the aisle are concerned at signs that Trump is pivoting away from years of efforts to compete with America's top geopolitical rival, which is likely to seize the moment and solidify its foothold in strategic industries that Trump wants to win back. Micah McCartney Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025 For those looking for a more permanent foothold, however, this alternative just down the street, where the Obamas holidayed for the first time in 2011, is now up for sale at $14.9 million. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 1 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foothold

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foothold was circa 1577

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Cite this Entry

“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foothold. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

foothold

noun
foot·​hold -ˌhōld How to pronounce foothold (audio)
1
: a hold for the feet : footing
2
: a position usable as a base for further advance

More from Merriam-Webster on foothold

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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