toehold

noun

toe·​hold ˈtō-ˌhōld 

1

a

: a hold or place of support for the toes (as in climbing)

b(1)

: a means of progressing (as in surmounting barriers)

(2)

: a slight footing

… used his money to get a toehold, then a foothold, then a near stranglehold on the political economy …

—R. W. Armstrong

2

: an illegal wrestling hold in which the aggressor bends or twists the other wrestler's foot

Examples of toehold in a Sentence

American companies looking for toeholds in foreign markets.

Recent Examples on the Web

Like many immigrant communities before them, recent arrivals found an economic toehold in food, selling street fare and opening restaurants that initially catered to fellow migrants. —Ashley Rose Young, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2026

Fresh graduates have spent the past few years being told about the wonders of AI and watched seniors struggle to get a toehold in the labor market. —Conor Sen, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026

Only a few alders had managed to find a toehold. —Ben East, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026

Turk has long kept a toehold in Palm Springs. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for toehold

• ahold
• behold
• billfold
• blindfold
• cajoled
• consoled
• controlled
• cotswold
• eightfold
• enfold
• enrolled
• extolled

Kids Definition

toehold

noun

toe·​hold ˈtō-ˌhōld 

: a hold or support for the toes (as in climbing)