stronghold

noun

strong·hold | \ ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld

Definition of stronghold

1 : a fortified place

2a : 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

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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

In Islamic State’s former eastern Syrian stronghold, the Islamic Republic of Iran is parlaying its military and economic might into a lasting foothold. — Benoit Faucon, WSJ, "Iran Moves to Cement Its Influence in Syria," 26 Mar. 2019 Born in Reims, the famous stronghold of the champagne style, Apolline married Nicolas Henriot in 1794 with a dowery of pinot noir grapes. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "You Have the Founding Mothers of Champagne to Thank for the Bubbly You Drink Today," 8 Mar. 2019 Backed by Russian air power, the Syrian regime has been able to topple rebel strongholds and assert control over all of the country’s major cities. — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, "Russia stays in the driver’s seat in Syria," 10 July 2018 In some secular strongholds, tattoo parlors offer free tattoos of Atatürk’s signature every Nov. 10, the day of his death, said tattooist Goksu Can Altan. — David Gauthier-villars, WSJ, "A Craze for Atatürk Gives New Cachet to Turkey’s Founding Father," 22 Feb. 2019 Combined with a quick dab of tinted moisturizer and a dollop of stronghold hair wax? — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "Kristen Stewart Updates Her Rock ’n’ Roll Pixie With a Surprising Twist," 16 Jan. 2019 North Liberty is a fast-growing bedroom community that’s located near Iowa City in Johnson County, which has long been the state’s liberal stronghold. — Ryan J. Foley, The Seattle Times, "Castro vows to champion health care, housing during 2020 bid," 8 Jan. 2019 The buildings are typically scattered around what were once French strongholds—naturally, the majority of such homes in America are found in Louisiana. — Maggie Burch, House Beautiful, "A Look At French Colonial Architecture, The Star Style Of New Orleans," 21 Dec. 2018 Last night, Democrats claimed the majority in the House of Representatives, and Republicans were able to keep a stronghold over the Senate, making some minor gains. — Verge Staff, The Verge, "What the new Congress means for space, self-driving cars, and regulating Facebook," 7 Nov. 2018

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