footholds

noun

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
  1. camps
  2. fortresses
  3. bridgeheads
  4. stations
  5. centers
Noun
  • What unites them is the belief that camps can help mold character and instill the values children will carry into adulthood.
    — Seth T. Kannarr, Fortune, 13 July 2026
  • Kansas City’s World Cup hosting duties have ended, but the city is guaranteed to have a presence in the championship game with Argentina and England holding base camps in KC.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
Definition of camps
Noun
  • While typical apparel brands struggle with changing seasonal trends and thin profits, giants such as LVMH, Christian Dior, Hermès, Richemont and Nike have built financial fortresses.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 June 2026
  • Some, like France's Maginot Line, became border fortresses stretching for miles, while German coastal defenses sat on the cliffs of Normandy, requiring the Allies to take out with sea bombardments and direct infantry assaults.
    — David Szondy June 23, New Atlas, 23 June 2026
Definition of fortresses
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
Definition of bridgeheads
Noun
  • Soli said several heat safety measures are in place, including mandatory hydration breaks during games, additional hydration stations and medical staff on every field who will monitor conditions and shorten games by five to ten minutes a half.
    — Ubah Ali, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • With comfortable seating, an onboard cafe car, and convenient midtown Amtrak stations at both ends, the trip itself is just as important as the destination.
    — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026
Definition of stations
Noun
  • The city banned data centers near transit and the Beltline, but this one is trying to get an exception.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
  • New York will block the construction of any new large data centers for up to a year so the state can create rules to protect the environment and energy grid from the power-hungry facilities that fuel artificial intelligence technology.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of centers

Browse Nearby Words

foothold
footholds
footing
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Cite this Entry

“Footholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footholds. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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