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 León, a stronghold of government support, thugs loyal to his Sandinista regime tried to put university students onto buses heading for Managua, the capital, to use them to help suppress protests there. — The Economist, "Latin America’s new media are growing up," 14 July 2018 Democratic running mates Ned Lamont and Susan Bysiewicz picked up a raft of endorsements in eastern Connecticut Monday, a region often overshadowed by the party strongholds of Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport. — Neil Vigdor, courant.com, "Susan Bysiewicz And Ned Lamont Make Headway In Eastern Connecticut," 9 July 2018 Still, a stronghold of hardy ponderosa pines, piñons, skunk bush and aspens have taken root in crevasses where water and organic materials provide hospitable conditions. — Mare Czinar, azcentral, "Volcanoes in Arizona: Sunset Crater hike shows off eruption's aftermath," 12 June 2018 While Israel is indeed known as an innovation hub and its security expertise is exported all around the world, its hospitals may not be the first to come mind as the typical stronghold of innovation in health care and security. — Eliana Rudee, Jewish Journal, "A dose of innovation in security and medical technology at Rambam Hospital," 5 June 2018 A few days after this column appears, the choir of the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will embark upon a pilgrimage to Transylvania (no vampires), a very early stronghold of Unitarianism. — Elizabeth Greene, idahostatesman, "'Faith is the gift of God': A pilgrimage will leave us all changed," 31 May 2018 The area was known as a stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan. — Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker, "William Barber Takes on Poverty and Race in the Age of Trump," 7 May 2018 As Kaufman makes clear, though, the notion that Wisconsin in 2016 was some sort of Democratic stronghold showed just how complacent Clinton and the liberal establishment had become. — Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, "How Conservatives Bet Big on Wisconsin and Won," 11 July 2018 Illinois, a union stronghold with an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature, is not expected to pass a state right-to-work law despite Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s support. — Alexia Elejalde-ruiz, chicagotribune.com, "Supreme Court's Janus ruling could undercut private-sector unions, too," 9 July 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.