fort

noun

ˈfȯrt 

1

: a strong or fortified place

especially : a fortified place occupied only by troops and surrounded with such works as a ditch, rampart, and parapet : fortification

2

: a permanent army post

—often used in place names

Synonyms of fort

• fortress
• stronghold
• fortification
• citadel
• castle
• bastion

Examples of fort in a Sentence

They captured the fort after a long battle.

a series of forts along the frontier

Recent Examples on the Web

While House of the Dragon held down the fort in drama, HBO also found comedic success with Larry David‘s Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026

The Holy Presentation Church, which was built in 1725 within a fort near Zaporizhzhia and transported to its current location at Beryslav in 1784, is said to be the last surviving example of wooden Cossack architecture in the country. — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026

Kat and Aesha take the guests swimming in some nearby caves while the rest of the crew holds down the fort. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026

The tour, led by Bruce Racond of Revolutionary Tours, promised to take curious attendees to sites rarely seen above 100th Street, from cascading waterfalls to Revolutionary forts. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English forte, from Anglo-French fort, from fort, adjective, strong, from Latin fortis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fort

• hold down the fort
• hold the fort

Rhymes for fort

• bort
• corte
• court
• dort
• mort
• norte
• ort
• port
• porte
• quart
• short
• snort

Kids Definition

fort

noun

ˈfō(ə)rt 

ˈfȯ(ə)rt

1

: a strong or fortified place

2

: a permanent army post