footholds

plural of foothold
as in bases
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 footholds The eldest among them had established early footholds in their careers before COVID hit. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026 As millions of Venezuelan refugees moved through Latin America, Tren de Aragua established criminal footholds along migration corridors, extending its reach into Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador and eventually the United States. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 The latest report, from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, also traced how Russia and Rwanda have established economic and security footholds in CAR alongside UAE trading networks. Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 12 June 2026 Meanwhile, some of America’s largest AI companies have also established footholds on campus. Jared Perlo, NBC news, 28 May 2026 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 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 The fact is that recent or older series can gain new footholds with modern viewers who haven’t seen them. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026 Additional footholds in Aspen and Hawaii follow a familiar pattern of buying adjacent homes within the same enclave. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footholds
Noun
  • Athletics The Athletics are led by DH Brent Rooker, who hit 39 homers and stole 11 bases last year, and right fielder Lawrence Butler, an emerging star who added 22 homers and 18 steals.
    Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
  • Washington Nationals The Nationals should take the next step forward as their young nucleus, led by shortstop CJ Abrams, who hit 20 homers and stole 31 bases last year, continues to develop and improve.
    Jim Bowden, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Well, the guys who have been through that grind many times over — Mahomes (10 training camps with Reid), Travis Kelce (14) and Chris Jones (11) — say this training camp was unlike any of those past iterations.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026
  • There weren’t separate camps of actors, circus artists, dancers, musicians, puppeteers or singers.
    Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Most of them can’t afford to outfit their own individual townhouses like armed fortresses as Swift has.
    Bridget Read, Curbed, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The area’s landscape charms visitors with its green hills, rural farmland, and dramatic medieval castles and fortresses.
    Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • 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.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Scripps’ local stations in Detroit and Las Vegas will also broadcast games for two of the league’s expansion franchises, according to the release.
    Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Saturday Night Live’s Marcello Hernandez gamely hosted the evening, with attendees walking across the Center to David Geffen Hall for an afterparty that included Katz’s Deli carving stations and elaborate sushi setups.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Most are instead forced to live inside aquariums or rehabilitation centers for the rest of their lives.
    John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Data centers The facilities that help power the rapid growth of artificial intelligence programs are facing a bipartisan backlash across the country.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Footholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footholds. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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