footing

noun

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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 Phrases Containing footing Learn More About footing

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 Its official shortening would put Xi's legacy on an equal rhetorical footing with Mao, who built a cult of personality around himself and ruled China until his death in 1976. — Nectar Gan, CNN, 16 July 2021 The changes are in line with current data and puts women on an equal footing, says Hedvig Hricak, a radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and chair of the committee that wrote the report. — Anil Oza, Science | AAAS, 29 June 2021 The pair became a laughing stock and, despite trying to stage a comeback, could not regain their footing before 32-year-old member Rob Pilatus died from an overdose in 1998. — cleveland, 2 Apr. 2022 And Russia is continuing to try to regain its footing in the information war. — Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022 DeBrusk, whose dash around the rink set up an important Nick Foligno goal in a comeback win over Buffalo last Saturday, has been trying to regain his footing after asking for a trade in late November. — BostonGlobe.com, 4 Jan. 2022 So please continue to help these artists who are still struggling to regain their footing. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 20 Dec. 2021 Jennifer and Avery Driver and their five children were among those looking to regain their footing. — Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 13 Dec. 2021 Data center developers are struggling to get their footing in the new marketplace, and municipalities are figuring out land use and other rules. — Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant, 10 Apr. 2022 See More

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.