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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
While Machar is currently on trial for offenses including treason, fighting has intensified in areas seen as his strongholds, where government troops are trying to disperse the rebels.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Paxton relied on conservative strongholds in outer suburbs and rural areas to remain competitive.—
Taylor Nichols,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Surface tanks are targets; subsurface reservoirs are fortresses.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
France believed its Maginot Line of fortresses was impregnable – until the Germans simply went around it.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Even though the border was relatively quiet for years, Israel also prepared for the next war with Hezbollah, gathering intelligence and building its own fortifications.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the deadly strike was caused by an Iranian weapon that made it through both air defenses and the operations center's fortifications.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 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
-
Ahead, 10 of the best castles on Airbnb from around the world.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The British monarchy is known for their lavish castles and estates, which often leave the public in awe.—
Elle Meier,
InStyle,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Visitors can explore old military forts and climb the picturesque black-and-white striped 1773 Tybee Island Light Station.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
-
History buffs can explore forts, museums, and historic homes, while art aficionados discover vibrant street murals, world-class collections, and intimate galleries tucked away in seaside towns.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bastions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastions. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
