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
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
While the commitments to long-term space are notable, the decisions are a mix of maintaining footholds and new growth.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2026
That can mean gaining multiple footholds, altering authentication settings or gaining access via third parties.
—William Akoto, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
In between all that, the host also managed to explain that everyone would be broken up into three groups, with each group going to Tribal Council, and the person who could last longest on narrow footholds for each group would win individual immunity.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Flags, footprints and footholds There was no single Apollo mission that matched what Artemis 2 is going to do, but that's not the only difference between the moon missions of 50 years ago and today.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Russian war bloggers expect a new Moscow effort to create more footholds in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
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
While the commitments to long-term space are notable, the decisions are a mix of maintaining footholds and new growth.
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2026
That can mean gaining multiple footholds, altering authentication settings or gaining access via third parties.
—William Akoto, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
In between all that, the host also managed to explain that everyone would be broken up into three groups, with each group going to Tribal Council, and the person who could last longest on narrow footholds for each group would win individual immunity.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
Flags, footprints and footholds There was no single Apollo mission that matched what Artemis 2 is going to do, but that's not the only difference between the moon missions of 50 years ago and today.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Russian war bloggers expect a new Moscow effort to create more footholds in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footholds
Noun
-
Palestinians in Gaza are still contending with myriad daily struggles, from lack of water to rodent infestations in sprawling tent camps.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Australian governments previously paid Nauru and Papua New Guinea to house asylum seekers who attempted to reach Australia’s shore by boat in squalid detention camps.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The eccentric design of Olana was inspired by fortresses in Persia (where, curiously, Church hadn’t travelled), as well as Italian, East Indian, Gothic Revival, and French Second Empire architecture.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The hilltop structures were originally built as Catholic shrines dedicated to the virgins they're named after, but were turned into military fortresses in the early 1800s—they have since been rehabilitated for tourism.—
Christin Parcerisa Vigueras,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 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
-
Local communities, in turn, operate the monitoring stations and get fees in return.—
Natalie Sum Yue Chung,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
-
There is one bus route along Preston Road and no light rail stations, according to the city's website.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Still, much of the public conversations around education centers on test scores and older students, leaving early childhood largely out of the discussion.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
Soriano and Pawlowski have been two of the leaders who have protested the location of any Amazon data centers at 61st Avenue and Colorado Street.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Footholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footholds. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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