footing

noun

foot·ing | \ ˈfu̇-tiŋ

Definition of footing

1 : a stable position or placing of the feet

2 : a surface or its condition with respect to one walking or running on it especially : the condition of a racetrack

3 : the act of moving on foot : step, tread

4a : a place or position providing a base of operations : foothold

b : established position : status especially : position or rank in relation to others they all started off on an equal footing

5 : basis

6 : terms of social intercourse

7 : an enlargement at the lower end of a foundation wall, pier, or column to distribute the load

8 : the sum of a column of figures

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about footing

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Examples of footing in a Sentence

He lost his footing and fell down the slope. Be careful. The footing is slippery there.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the third quarter, when Kendrick Bourne lost his footing on a sideline route, Garoppolo’s pass sailed straight to Vikings rookie Mike Hughes for a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 17-3 lead. — Fox News, "Jimmy Garoppolo takes loss, as 49ers fall to Vikings 24-16," 10 Sep. 2018 Oracle made its business selling software that companies run in their own databases, but has spent years trying to find its footing in the fast-growing cloud, where companies are increasingly renting computing power and storage. — Maria Armental, WSJ, "Oracle Revenue Flat as Push to Bolster Cloud Business Continues," 17 Dec. 2018 Food halls and markets have also benefited from finding their footing in the age of the fast-casual dining movement, which helped propel chains like Chipotle and Shake Shack. — Bethany Biron, Vox, "The food court’s younger, hipper cousin is a curated version of the mall staple.," 30 Oct. 2018 MoPOP’s annual Sound Off! battle of the bands has helped countless young acts find their footing in the Seattle scene. — Rachel Lerman, The Seattle Times, "Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder and Seahawks owner, dies at 65," 16 Oct. 2018 Last October when the initial fine had been announced, Taiwan’s FTC claimed that the patents Qualcomm holds over its chip designs kept other potential chip makers from finding a footing in the market. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "Qualcomm and Taiwanese regulators settle $774 million antitrust suit," 10 Aug. 2018 And Bonnie, a woman who has been hiding in her gilded, Sunshine State cage for 16 years, is expected to find her footing in all of that. — refinery29.com, "American Woman Review: Kyle Richards’ 70s Romp Is TV’s Breeziest New Show," 7 June 2018 Michael Gettys is beginning to find his footing in the Texas League. — Jeff Sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Michael Gettys heating up for Missions," 2 June 2018 And now, as a proud franchise seeking to regain its footing after a 6-12 record last season, the Tiger-Cats would rather discuss their collective football future than their new backup’s troubled past. — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "Johnny Manziel’s Last Chance—as a Backup in the CFL," 16 June 2018

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