as in base
a place from which an advance (as for military operations) is made
don't let the opposing team push us back down the field and gain a foothold
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Recent Examples of foothold
From Wednesday on, the real heat wave begins to take a foothold with highs for many areas getting up into the 80s to finish the week.
—
Dave Aguilera, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
But Brooklyn’s available starters never found an offensive foothold, and the deficit kept growing as Portland’s depth continued to produce clean looks.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
Pompeo further claims that China will lose a strategic foothold for projecting power in the Middle East thanks to the Iran war, and this deserves close scrutiny.
—Lyle Goldstein, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
To get on land, these types of Marine units primarily seize footholds by riding small watercraft onto beaches or by helicopter insertion.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foothold
Dave Aguilera, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
But Brooklyn’s available starters never found an offensive foothold, and the deficit kept growing as Portland’s depth continued to produce clean looks.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
Pompeo further claims that China will lose a strategic foothold for projecting power in the Middle East thanks to the Iran war, and this deserves close scrutiny.
—Lyle Goldstein, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
To get on land, these types of Marine units primarily seize footholds by riding small watercraft onto beaches or by helicopter insertion.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foothold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foothold
Noun
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In its base-case scenario, disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz over the next four to six weeks could remove as much as 11 million to 16 million barrels per day from the market, pushing Brent crude to around $110 to $120 a barrel.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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The roughly 93-square-mile base houses the 49th Wing, which supports national security work and includes combat-ready airmen and guardians, according to its website.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Guests who visit are treated to a fun camp-like experience, albeit a step up from traditional camping, thanks to modern amenities, a restaurant serving up regional specialties crafted with local ingredients, and ADA-compliant rooms so those of all mobility needs can stay.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Mar. 2026
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Yet this was a shared experience, somehow, not two camps pitted against each other.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The point is not to turn the home into a fortress but to remove single points of failure.—
Neal K. Shah,
Boston Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
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The result is the most security-intensive Academy Awards in memory — a fortress of concentric rings, AI surveillance, FBI intelligence gathering and rooftop snipers wrapped around Hollywood’s biggest night.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foothold. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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