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
City types of a certain age have been dismayed at the loss of one of the Square Mile’s bastions.
—
Ian King, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
Even among these bastions of heritage, however, few private domains can match the singular grandeur of Hillandale.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 2026
While many American cities are painted as bastions of murder, a new report has revealed that this is not actually the case.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Wikipedia is one of the last bastions of the early internet, but that original vision of a free online space has been clouded by the dominance of Big Tech platforms and the rise of generative AI chatbots trained on content scraped from the web.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Jan. 2026
In her conversations with health officials around the country, Balfour has found that there is increasing backlash towards the growing number of people who are unhoused, even in liberal bastions such as San Francisco and Seattle.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 2 Jan. 2026
After tenures at Atlanta bastions like Miller Union, pastry chef Claudia Martinez is now taking the driver’s seat with a star-studded crew behind her.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
While rural areas remain conservative bastions, farmers’ patience with Washington is wearing thin.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Shrinking freedoms Institutions like Delhi University have long been celebrated as bastions of free speech and secular thought.
—Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
Ian King, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
Even among these bastions of heritage, however, few private domains can match the singular grandeur of Hillandale.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 2026
While many American cities are painted as bastions of murder, a new report has revealed that this is not actually the case.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 27 Jan. 2026
Wikipedia is one of the last bastions of the early internet, but that original vision of a free online space has been clouded by the dominance of Big Tech platforms and the rise of generative AI chatbots trained on content scraped from the web.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Jan. 2026
In her conversations with health officials around the country, Balfour has found that there is increasing backlash towards the growing number of people who are unhoused, even in liberal bastions such as San Francisco and Seattle.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 2 Jan. 2026
After tenures at Atlanta bastions like Miller Union, pastry chef Claudia Martinez is now taking the driver’s seat with a star-studded crew behind her.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
While rural areas remain conservative bastions, farmers’ patience with Washington is wearing thin.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Shrinking freedoms Institutions like Delhi University have long been celebrated as bastions of free speech and secular thought.
—Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastions
Noun
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The communities that arose there became, to a near-comical degree, temporary cultural strongholds, crammed with artists, musicians, medics, and academics.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
-
These losses have been particularly notable in historically Black strongholds like Bedford-Stuyvesant and Harlem.—
Naomi Jackson,
Curbed,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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France believed its Maginot Line of fortresses was impregnable – until the Germans simply went around it.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, history buffs will love exploring the island’s capital via colorful Spanish-colonial architecture and imposing, ancient fortresses like La Fortaleza and El Morro.—
Brittany Chang,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the end, the fortifications that mattered most were those that strengthened Rome against the invaders that could not be seen.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Some are outfitted with dozens of pounds of explosives to self-destruct near fortifications or bridges.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
29 Jan. 2026
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
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Moreover, Austria offers, as mentioned, an exceptional variety of locations — from breathtaking Alpine landscapes to historic cities, stunning architecture both historical and contemporary, as well as castles and palaces.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In addition to castles, the Highlands is home to a veritable cornucopia of mythological creatures, the most famous being Nessie of course.—
Patti Nickell,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Royal African Company had acquired forts, ships, and the necessary infrastructure to traffic more than a hundred thousand people from one continent to another.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Beyond its white-, black- or golden-sand beaches and historic forts, the island has the opportunity to carve out a new role as a model for responsible travel, one where visitors don’t just take from the island but give back to it.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bastions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastions. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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