as in strongholds
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
the rebel army retreated to its bastion in the mountains to regroup
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Recent Examples of bastions
Instead, Tuttle suffered 10 rejections in a row, including hard passes from indie bastions like Sundance and SXSW.
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
Sports, one of the last bastions of bipartisan broadcast TV viewing, is apt to keep the network-station binary from completely dissolving.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
Universities, once bastions of free thought, have too often become hostile breeding grounds for intolerance.
—Michael Curry, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025
Budapest, Hungary Cradled by the Danube’s curves, Budapest is a city where medieval bastions meet Ottoman bathhouses steaming beside Bauhaus blocks.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The Republican president has repeatedly criticized both Washington and Chicago — Democratic bastions led by Black mayors — for out-of-control street crime, despite crime rates dropping in the two cities.
—Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
One of the last bastions of radical cinema was the independent Art Theatre Guild, which produced and distributed two films in 1970 that captured Japan’s own retreat from possible change toward aesthetic and political conservatism.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
Brent Lang, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
Sports, one of the last bastions of bipartisan broadcast TV viewing, is apt to keep the network-station binary from completely dissolving.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
Universities, once bastions of free thought, have too often become hostile breeding grounds for intolerance.
—Michael Curry, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025
Budapest, Hungary Cradled by the Danube’s curves, Budapest is a city where medieval bastions meet Ottoman bathhouses steaming beside Bauhaus blocks.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The Republican president has repeatedly criticized both Washington and Chicago — Democratic bastions led by Black mayors — for out-of-control street crime, despite crime rates dropping in the two cities.
—Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
One of the last bastions of radical cinema was the independent Art Theatre Guild, which produced and distributed two films in 1970 that captured Japan’s own retreat from possible change toward aesthetic and political conservatism.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastions
Noun
-
Democrats see wins in battle for suburbia While some Democratic strongholds buttressed by working class voters have grown redder, the suburbs north of Indianapolis appear to be trending in the opposite direction.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
23 Oct. 2025
-
And the housing shortage has spread beyond coastal cities normally dominated by Democrats to rural areas in Republican strongholds.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For many Americans, universities appear more like fortresses than forums.—
Nicholas Dirks,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Sleek architecture marries centuries-old fortresses—while locals swap skis for kayaks, depending on the season.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Parts of those medieval fortifications can still be seen today in the museum’s lower levels.—
Barney Henderson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Historians believe the castle featured living quarters and fortifications, plus courtyards, kitchens, houses and workshops.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The story is a bit murkier than Manichaean talk of stormers and citadels.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Intelsat’s leadership rapidly green-lighted the campaign to set up internet citadels.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And, at least until recently, the government has proven unwilling or unable to try and storm the castles.—
NPR,
NPR,
21 Oct. 2025
-
As the series progressed, Carter went on to construct a highly believable world of Roy, with a sequence of meticulously outfitted penthouses, lofts, vacation homes, and castles, as well as private jets, yachts, a corporate boardroom, and a TV newsroom.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
It’s made of dense foam pieces, including a base, cushion and two triangle pillows, allowing kiddos to create forts and obstacle courses along with sturdy, comfortable seating.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
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When Columbus instructed settlers to build forts in large towns, Taínos attacked the settlers in large numbers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bastions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastions. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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