foothold

noun

foot·​hold ˈfu̇t-ˌhōld 

1

: a hold for the feet : footing

2

: a position usable as a base for further advance

The company secured a foothold in the market.

Synonyms of foothold

• base
• camp
• fortress

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

Ooredoo, which has had a foothold in Indonesia for nearly two decades, sees data center demand more than tripling in Southeast Asia by 2030. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026

With filmmaking gaining a firm foothold in the state, suburbs like Naperville, Lisle and Long Grove have either put guardrails in place to protect their towns or are working toward that goal. — Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

The heavy lifter is a big part of Blue Origin's ambitious plans, which include helping humanity establish a foothold in the final frontier. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The hacker could then use that foothold to reach the controller. — William Akoto, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for foothold

• ahold
• behold
• billfold
• blindfold
• cajoled
• consoled
• controlled
• cotswold
• eightfold
• enfold
• enrolled
• extolled

Kids Definition

foothold

noun

foot·​hold -ˌhōld 

1

: a hold for the feet : footing

2

: a position usable as a base for further advance