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 Although the attack was widely condemned, experts told CNN the conspiracy ultimately found a new foothold amid the rise of far-right movements in Europe and the United States. Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025 Across the metro, dozens of new businesses have opened, with three specific types of businesses gaining a new foothold in Louisville. Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Oct. 2025 That’s because the independent garden center industry is shrinking as big-box stores such as Home Depot continue to increase their foothold on the market. Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025 Despite a bloody war fought between the two neighbors from 1980 to 1988, Baghdad remains one of Tehran's few remaining footholds in the region. Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foothold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foothold
Noun
  • The project aims to build a research base on the Moon for use by participating countries by the early 2030s.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Shifts in voter sentiment, unexpected political events and each contender’s capacity to unite or expand the Democratic base will likely determine who ultimately secures the nomination.
    Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Leeds United find themselves in the opposite camp, ranking bottom in big-chance conversion rate after converting just three of 17 such opportunities.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Our analysis of satellite imagery of Gaza shows that there are multiple open areas that were once agricultural, adjacent to cities, that would be candidates for this type of camp.
    Shelly Culbertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The fantastic architecture includes Etruscan walls, the Gothic Palazzo dei Priori, and Rocca Paolina, a Renaissance fortress.
    John Skelton, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Directed by Oscar winner Bille August, The Count of Monte Cristo stars Claflin as Edmond Dantès, a young sailor who was falsely accused of treason and is imprisoned without trial in the Château d’If, a grim island fortress off Marseille, France.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foothold. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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