stronghold

noun strong·hold \ ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

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

See stronghold defined for English-language learners

See stronghold defined for kids

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 of stronghold from the Web

Although a number of rebel strongholds remain, none are as strategically important as Eastern Ghouta, where Douma is located.

— louisa loveluck, Washington Post, "Civilians trapped as Syrian airstrikes pound rebels’ final Damascus stronghold," 6 Apr. 2018
In addition to Los Angeles, Postmates also has strongholds in large metro areas like Phoenix and Charlotte.

— jason del rey, Recode, "Postmates and DoorDash have discussed a merger to fend off Uber, GrubHub and Amazon," 6 Apr. 2018
Civilians and fighters Monday began leaving the last rebel stronghold near Damascus, marking a major victory for the Assad regime in its relentless assault to secure the Syrian capital after a yearslong civil war.

— sune engel rasmussen, WSJ, "Syrians Begin Leaving Last Rebel-Held Town Near Capital," 2 Apr. 2018
Thursday's attack appeared to have taken place in the northern city of Manbij, a former Islamic State stronghold that has become a critical flash point between Turkey and Kurdish fighters in Syria.

— the washington post, AL.com, "American service member killed in explosion in Syria," 30 Mar. 2018
With Republicans looking for answers after Lamb’s surprising win in a 2016 Trump stronghold, talk is swirling about whether Biden would take on the president in 2020.

— ray boyd, Philly.com, "Council wants answers after discrimination at foster agencies, judge to allow 5 accusers to testify in Cosby retrial | Morning Newsletter," 16 Mar. 2018
The project’s vision is to safeguard the angelshark’s last stronghold in the Canaries, stabilize the population and eventually increase angelshark numbers.

— ralph steadman, Discover Magazine, "Where the Wild Things Aren't," 1 Mar. 2018
The plea comes amid reports heavy air strikes have killed dozens in the last major rebel stronghold near the capital Damascus.

— philip issa and zeina karam, Houston Chronicle, "Hospitals overwhelmed by bombing blitz of Damascus suburbs," 21 Feb. 2018
Orange County, once a conservative stronghold, voted for a Democrat for president in 2016 for the first time since the Great Depression, backing Hillary Clinton over Trump.

— alene tchekmedyian, latimes.com, "Los Alamitos wants nothing to do with California's 'sanctuary state' laws. Will it start a new resistance?," 20 Mar. 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.

First Known Use of stronghold

15th century

stronghold Synonyms

Synonyms

bastion, castle, citadel, fastness, fort, fortification, fortress, hold, redoubt;

bunker, dugout;

blockhouse, garrison house;

STRONGHOLD Defined for English Language Learners

stronghold

noun

: an area where most people have the same beliefs, values, etc. : an area dominated by a particular group
: a protected place where the members of a military group stay and can defend themselves against attacks
: an area where a particular type of uncommon animal can still be found