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
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Recent Examples of footholds
Sweeping cuts in federal jobs and the dismantling of corporate DEI programs have disproportionately destabilized these footholds, as MSNBC reported.
—
Britney Porter, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
HollyShorts Film Festival is betting big on international expansion, with plans to launch in Dubai this December as the Oscar-qualifying short film showcase looks to establish footholds beyond its Hollywood home base.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Britney Porter, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
HollyShorts Film Festival is betting big on international expansion, with plans to launch in Dubai this December as the Oscar-qualifying short film showcase looks to establish footholds beyond its Hollywood home base.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footholds
Noun
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Upon completion, Southwest Golf Ranch will boast a total of 27 heated, covered driving range bays, over two acres of bent-grass range, professional swing-analysis technology, a professional shop offering club-fitting services, group camps and clinics with certified golf instructors and more.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
The Enquirer,
10 Sep. 2025
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This is high-stakes teenage stuff, and the show leads a second life online, where superfans in opposing camps fire off rounds of GIFs meant to condemn one brother over the other.—
Greta Rainbow,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sleek architecture marries centuries-old fortresses—while locals swap skis for kayaks, depending on the season.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Inextricably tied to the D-Day invasion of World War II, this northern French region of orchards, dairies, horse farms and seaside villages along the English Channel draws visitors who come to honor the fallen or visit famous medieval fortresses and abbeys.—
Seth Sherwood,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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If Russia continues to launch drones that penetrate NATO airspace, then NATO should reserve the right to strike back against the launch sites and drone control stations in Russia or Belarus.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement The most accurate air-pollution detectors EPA’s stations are the most accurate detectors.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Scientists have developed a low-cost, compact power module that can be used in data centers, microreactors, and heavy-duty vehicles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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These include energy consumption—driving GW data centers, thermal management and the time to operationalize that infrastructure.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Footholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footholds. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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