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 scientific stewards of America’s once-thriving footholds on the Antarctic continent have been left scrambling.
—
Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 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
Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 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
-
The two competing camps both made hyperbolic claims that their technology would soon deliver computers that equalled or exceeded human intelligence.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
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And with a payload capacity of 100 tons, Starship should be able to carry all the equipment for one of Interlune’s mining camps in one or two shipments.—
Jeremy Bogaisky,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Sleek architecture marries centuries-old fortresses—while locals swap skis for kayaks, depending on the season.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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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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Unlike earlier tanks with thicker armor and larger guns, the Type 100 employs active defense interceptors, photoelectric sensors, and remote weapon stations to counter threats from modern anti-tank missiles and drones, which often exploit vulnerabilities on the top of armored vehicles.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
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The event will feature fun and creative stations with spiderweb paintings, bubble potions and live encounters with some of the museum’s resident critters.—
Virginia Brown,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The lawsuit, filed in Sacramento Superior Court last week, centers around public artwork intended for the corner of 13th and J streets at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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In addition, treatment centers often provide rooms with soft lighting, a naturalistic decor, and music or other sensory stimulation.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Footholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footholds. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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