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 Some went to cities that have long been magnets for immigrants — New York, Miami — but increasingly, others found their way to smaller cities with less developed immigrant footholds. — Will Jarrett, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footholds
  1. bases
  2. camps
  3. fortresses
  4. bridgeheads
  5. stations
  6. centers
Noun
  • The tall temples feature square bases and conical towers adorned with intricate stone carvings of gods and mythical animals, with the three largest structures dedicated to Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Its armed forces have proved capable of continuing to damage American military bases despite coming under heavy bombardment.
    — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of bases
Noun
  • Even local landmarks can have a part in shameful history, with de Courcy noting that Memorial Auditorium was a staging area for the shipment of Japanese American residents to internment camps for during World War II.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Hayes has regularly scheduled the senior and U-23 camps to run concurrently in hopes of extending the growing fluidity between their rosters.
    — Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of camps
Noun
  • The structures include monasteries and fortresses that showcase the reign of the Lombards, who played a major role in the development of medieval European Christianity.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The horse was found amid structures and artifacts that have revealed more details of military and daily life inside ancient Egyptian fortresses, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a Wednesday statement.
    — Ahmed Shawkat, CBS News, 16 Sep. 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
  • Additional demonstrations were scheduled for 2026, alongside work on hydrogen stations to supply fuel.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The letter called for greater regional collaboration to keep New England’s remaining nuclear stations operational and to identify potential locations for expansion.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stations
Noun
  • Since launching the Pink Pony Campaign in 2000, Ralph Lauren has championed the fight against cancer by funding cancer centers and world-class research facilities around the world.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The excavation centers on Mieza, an ancient Macedonian city in northern Greece, where archaeologists have been uncovering a sprawling complex known as the Royal Gymnasium.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of centers

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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 6 Oct. 2026.

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