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
Foot Locker, based in New York City, offers Dick’s a lot of potential, namely its huge real estate footprint, and would give the Pittsburgh company its first foothold overseas.
—
Michelle Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
Having already gained a strong foothold across Asia, with companies such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Grab being key pioneers, the focus is now on making these interoperable and reducing cross-border friction.
—Daniel Webber, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Latin America: This week, Xi is hosting Brazil’s president and other officials from Latin America and the Caribbean in Beijing to underscore that China intends to keep a firm foothold in that region.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Instead, the patriots had allowed Britain to regain a foothold in the province.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for foothold
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.
Michelle Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
Having already gained a strong foothold across Asia, with companies such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Grab being key pioneers, the focus is now on making these interoperable and reducing cross-border friction.
—Daniel Webber, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Latin America: This week, Xi is hosting Brazil’s president and other officials from Latin America and the Caribbean in Beijing to underscore that China intends to keep a firm foothold in that region.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Instead, the patriots had allowed Britain to regain a foothold in the province.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 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 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share