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
R. W. Armstrong2
: 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
Investors might want to take a toehold now, and add to it if the shares, now at about $89, fall below $80.
—John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Lakes as small as Last Chance and Goodenough, both little more than shallow ponds, could at best have offered early life a toehold before their phosphates would have been depleted.
—Byrobert F. Service, science.org, 24 Feb. 2025
Given the challenges coming from Beijing, justices said Washington was within its power to deny it one of its strongest toeholds out of concern that it could be used to surveil Americans, steal their secrets, and feed them a stream of propaganda useful to China’s big-picture goals.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
But there will be some examples of pro-Trump media getting a toehold outside of Fox News.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toehold
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John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Lakes as small as Last Chance and Goodenough, both little more than shallow ponds, could at best have offered early life a toehold before their phosphates would have been depleted.
—Byrobert F. Service, science.org, 24 Feb. 2025
Given the challenges coming from Beijing, justices said Washington was within its power to deny it one of its strongest toeholds out of concern that it could be used to surveil Americans, steal their secrets, and feed them a stream of propaganda useful to China’s big-picture goals.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
But there will be some examples of pro-Trump media getting a toehold outside of Fox News.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toehold
Cite this Entry
“Toehold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toehold. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
toehold
noun
toe·hold
ˈtō-ˌhōld 
: a hold or support for the toes (as in climbing)
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