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

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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

Tsistispas has likewise never found his footing on grass, and he was shaken by a loss to Stan Wawrinka at Roland Garros several weeks ago. — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, "A Round of Upsets at Wimbledon, and the Big Story of Tennis," 3 July 2019 After a few years of protection, homegrown champions like CATL are strong enough to compete with foreign rivals on a more equal footing. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "A New Road for Electric Vehicles in China," 25 June 2019 But Sweden now sees itself as being on equal footing – or close to it -- with the Americans, having dumped them out of the Rio Olympics in the quarterfinals, the earliest exit the U.S. has made at a major international tournament. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "Opinion: US confidence rubbing some opponents the wrong way, and that's a good thing," 23 June 2019 Rogozin banks on the fact that the U.S. would want Russian involvement bad enough to share the American leadership in the lunar gateway and work with Roscosmos on equal footing. — Anatoly Zak, Popular Mechanics, "Russia Is Riled Up About Being Left Behind in Space," 10 Oct. 2018 Despite the monumental victory in March, no one would suggest his program is on equal footing with Duke’s. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State basketball's date with Duke a reminder of what Tom Izzo has built," 8 June 2019 McAlester writes) but places them on equal footing as phenomena of their age. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "Virginia McAlester Is the Most Popular Architecture Writer in America," 6 June 2019 In the final season, the women are largely on equal footing with the men around them. — Glamour, "Why All the Game of Thrones Women Are Dressing Alike in Season 8," 12 Apr. 2019 Take your time and be extra careful with your footing. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "14 Essential Hiking Safety Tips You Should Always Follow," 10 May 2019

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.