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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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 foothold Create footholds for bats to roost. Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025 One wrong foothold, one bobble, one slip, and he is destined to fall for a while. Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Oct. 2025 For Putin and his generals, the plant served as a foothold from which to push deeper into southern Ukraine. Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025 Former President Barack Obama is making the New Jersey governor’s race a fresh test of his electoral influence as Democrats seek to keep Republicans from gaining a foothold in a traditionally blue state. Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foothold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foothold
Noun
  • Four people were rescued — two French and two Nepali nationals — and five Nepalis were able to make their own way back to base camp, located at 4,900 meters (16,070 feet).
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Five foreigners were injured at the base camp on Mount Yalung Ri, located at 16,070 feet.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • If Alt was going to be in the lineup, the Chargers had a chance to piece their front together and potentially contend, even after losing tackle Rashawn Slater for the season because of a training camp knee injury.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
  • In Kakuma, a vast refugee camp near the South Sudan border, starting in spring, our documentary team followed clinicians and families inside the stabilization unit at Clinic 7, where the sickest children come.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The concept of the Stadium of Light as a fortress will be placed under severe strain before 2025 is over, with Arsenal, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Manchester City visiting in the next two months.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Vilgefortz, true to form, begins by leading a squadron that blasts magic so aggressively at the fortress that some of them crumble into bones on the spot.
    Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foothold. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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