stronghold

noun

strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld 

1

: a fortified place

2

a

: a place of security or survival

one of the last strongholds of the ancient Gaelic language

—George Holmes

b

: a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic

a Republican stronghold

strongholds of snobbery

—Lionel Trilling

Synonyms

• fortress
• bastion
• citadel
• fortification
• castle
• fort

Examples of stronghold in a Sentence

The area is a Republican stronghold.

The rebels retreated to their mountain stronghold.

the last stronghold of the endangered deer

Recent Examples on the Web

Cities have long been Democratic strongholds, but rising fears over crime and disorder appear to be softening partisan lines. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

Galen Carr, the Dodgers’ vice president of player personnel, has made frequent trips to Japan as the Dodgers reinforced their stronghold in the country. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

While still a Democratic stronghold, New York City has gotten redder. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025

Corteva, a stronghold seed and pesticide provider in the Indiana agriculture space, will be no more next year as the northwest side company rebrands and spawns its seed business. —Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stronghold

• ahold
• behold
• billfold
• blindfold
• cajoled
• consoled
• controlled
• cotswold
• eightfold
• enfold
• enrolled
• extolled

Kids Definition

stronghold

noun

strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld 

: fortress