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/Democratic stronghold

strongholds of snobbery

—Lionel Trilling

Synonyms of stronghold

• 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

The district also has six education centers, including one in the historically Republican stronghold of El Dorado County. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026

With a stronghold that significant, the potential move on behalf of Japan and Canada would loosen their dependency on China, which holds critical minerals. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026

Japan’s humanoid prowess was partly built on the back of its legendary industrial automation, yet even that stronghold has eroded. — Tim Hornyak, IEEE Spectrum, 4 July 2026

History fans should look out for the climb up to the Château de Montségur, once a stronghold of the Cathar religious rebels, and scene of a bloody siege in 1244. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 July 2026

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