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
Corporate landlords and investment firms own less than 5% of the nation’s 87 million homes, according to BatchData, though that fraction is growing and obscures bigger footholds in local markets.
—
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
The magnitude of the action stretches from Venezuela to China, Russia and Iran, all of which seek footholds in Venezuela, threatening stability for American and democratic interests.
—John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Create footholds for bats to roost.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 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
In that vein, the brand matrix has been expanded beyond its footholds in skin care and makeup with a greater focus on fragrance, including brands like Vyrao and House of Bō.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2025
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
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
The magnitude of the action stretches from Venezuela to China, Russia and Iran, all of which seek footholds in Venezuela, threatening stability for American and democratic interests.
—John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Create footholds for bats to roost.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 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
In that vein, the brand matrix has been expanded beyond its footholds in skin care and makeup with a greater focus on fragrance, including brands like Vyrao and House of Bō.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footholds
Noun
-
Schools were closed, books were burned, educators were beaten and sometimes killed, political rivals were jailed or sent to re-education camps.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Lucy Kasdin, a volunteer and the deputy director of health and housing services for Alameda County, noted a June 2024 Supreme Court decision allowing cities to sweep homeless camps even when no shelter is available.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Collective investments in resilience are cheaper than everyone building their own fortresses.—
Haley Ott,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Tour the fortresses, stroll through the town’s central market, and visit Spianada Square, the largest square in Greece.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Like a ball passing through the barriers of a pinball machine, the water flows among the components as directed by 2,200 miles of canals, 2,100 miles of levees and berms, 84 pump stations and 778 water control structures.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Walmart is expanding its network of charging stations for electric vehicles in the new year at nearly 80 stores throughout the country, including a half dozen in the Charlotte region.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fortunately, this legislative session, which began last week, the Colorado legislature is looking at ways to shield residents from rate hikes caused by data centers.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Our demand for power is vast, not least because of the enormous appetite of LLMs served by massive data centers.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Footholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footholds. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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