foothold

noun

foot·​hold ˈfu̇t-ˌhōld How to pronounce foothold (audio)
Synonyms of footholdnext
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.

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.
That access can put them in positions to give their hacker colleagues a foothold to steal cryptocurrency passkeys and wire crypto to Pyongyang. Kevin Collier, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025 Dip even slightly below that threshold, and the virus, once introduced, can and will gain a foothold. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025 Finally, Google has a strong foothold in the devices sector—where many think the future fight for AI dominance will play out—thanks to Pixel phones and long involvement in the Android operating system. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025 Once attackers get a foothold, the damage can spread quickly. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foothold. Accessed 23 Dec. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!