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
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
Lionel TrillingExamples 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 state, which is a Democratic stronghold, hasn't had a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011.
—Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
All are Democratic strongholds.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Maps are typically redrawn only once a decade after the census, and in California—as in several other Democratic strongholds—an independent commission oversees the process.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
District 6 in south Charlotte was a rare Republican stronghold as the city and its leadership pushed increasingly to the left, but the margin separating Republicans from Democrats had dwindled.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stronghold
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Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
All are Democratic strongholds.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Maps are typically redrawn only once a decade after the census, and in California—as in several other Democratic strongholds—an independent commission oversees the process.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
District 6 in south Charlotte was a rare Republican stronghold as the city and its leadership pushed increasingly to the left, but the margin separating Republicans from Democrats had dwindled.
—Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stronghold
Cite this Entry
“Stronghold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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stronghold
noun
strong·hold
ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld
: fortress
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