as in bases
a place from which an advance (as for military operations) is made
established a bridgehead on the beach before beginning the land invasion
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Recent Examples of bridgeheads
Ukraine has sought to derail the Kremlin’s plans by launching counterattacks in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, where Russian forces have sought to carve out bridgeheads with an aim to advance toward the regional capitals, which are key industrial hubs.
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ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bridgeheads
Noun
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The eccentric design of Olana was inspired by fortresses in Persia (where, curiously, Church hadn’t travelled), as well as Italian, East Indian, Gothic Revival, and French Second Empire architecture.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The hilltop structures were originally built as Catholic shrines dedicated to the virgins they're named after, but were turned into military fortresses in the early 1800s—they have since been rehabilitated for tourism.—
Christin Parcerisa Vigueras,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Palestinians in Gaza are still contending with myriad daily struggles, from lack of water to rodent infestations in sprawling tent camps.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Australian governments previously paid Nauru and Papua New Guinea to house asylum seekers who attempted to reach Australia’s shore by boat in squalid detention camps.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Noun
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The local voting also provides an opening for smaller parties, independents and outsider candidates to gain political footholds that would be far harder to achieve in national parliamentary races.—
Inaya Folarin Iman,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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The second generation, which began in the early 2000s, saw K-pop gain footholds in regional markets like China, Japan and Southeast Asia.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Noun
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From swastikas scrawled in school bathrooms and subway stations to antisemitic graffiti targeting synagogues and Jewish institutions, symbols of hate are appearing with growing visibility in everyday American life.—
Ariella Noveck,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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Cameras won't be banned from the high-profile murder case of the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk, a Utah judge ruled Friday, saying coverage requests from news stations would continue to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 May 2026
Noun
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Still, much of the public conversations around education centers on test scores and older students, leaving early childhood largely out of the discussion.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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Soriano and Pawlowski have been two of the leaders who have protested the location of any Amazon data centers at 61st Avenue and Colorado Street.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bridgeheads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bridgeheads. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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