toehold

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noun toe·hold \ˈtō-ˌhōld\

Definition of toehold

1a : 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

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Examples of toehold in a Sentence

American companies looking for toeholds in foreign markets.

Recent Examples of toehold from the Web

Construction spending plans are being held hostage by House Democrats seeking a toehold in larger financial debates in which they've been sidelined by House Republicans.

— bloomberg news, NOLA.com, "Laptop ban on international flights still under consideration", 28 May 2017
By that time, several others were getting toeholds on the Web.

— warren berger, WIRED, "Schwag Bag", 1 Jan. 2001

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'toehold'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of toehold

1880

TOEHOLD Defined for English Language Learners

toehold

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noun

Definition of toehold for English Language Learners

: a place where your toes may be placed when you are climbing a cliff, a mountain, etc.
: a position that makes it possible to begin an activity or effort