as in strongholds
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
the boys built a snow fortress and then challenged the neighborhood kids to an in-your-face snowball fight
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Recent Examples of fortresses
Surface tanks are targets; subsurface reservoirs are fortresses.
—
Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
France believed its Maginot Line of fortresses was impregnable – until the Germans simply went around it.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, history buffs will love exploring the island’s capital via colorful Spanish-colonial architecture and imposing, ancient fortresses like La Fortaleza and El Morro.
—Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
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
While the prison grounds have no high fences, the prison units exist as separate fortresses, successors to the long wooden barracks that were once here.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Secure capitals While both India and Pakistan have historically faced significant security threats, their capitals are meant to be fortresses – home to the seats of government, military leadership, and the diplomatic corps.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Andermatt, Switzerland High in the Alps, where trains wind through snowbound passes and peaks rise like fortresses, Andermatt is one of Switzerland’s most dynamic winter destinations.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
France believed its Maginot Line of fortresses was impregnable – until the Germans simply went around it.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, history buffs will love exploring the island’s capital via colorful Spanish-colonial architecture and imposing, ancient fortresses like La Fortaleza and El Morro.
—Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
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
While the prison grounds have no high fences, the prison units exist as separate fortresses, successors to the long wooden barracks that were once here.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Secure capitals While both India and Pakistan have historically faced significant security threats, their capitals are meant to be fortresses – home to the seats of government, military leadership, and the diplomatic corps.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Andermatt, Switzerland High in the Alps, where trains wind through snowbound passes and peaks rise like fortresses, Andermatt is one of Switzerland’s most dynamic winter destinations.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortresses
Noun
-
The filmmakers travel through Roma villages in the nation’s countryside —hard-core Fidesz strongholds — to uncover a wide network of bribery and blackmail.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The outcome could show whether Modi’s party can extend its dominance by making inroads into opposition strongholds.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over many years, Iran has built underground fortifications and facilities to protect its missile and drone inventory.—
Daniel Kurtzer,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Javelin missile systems are portable antitank weapons also designed to destroy low-flying helicopters and other fortifications.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Israeli officials further compounded those fears Wednesday, with Avichay Adraee, Israel’s Arabic-language spokesman, accusing Hezbollah of moving beyond its traditional bastions of support in the southern suburbs of the capital and embedding itself in north Beirut and mixed neighborhoods.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Military engineers resorted to building lower, thicker ramparts, backed by earth, and sought to eliminate blind spots by building angular bastions — the aforementioned extrusions.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The story is a bit murkier than Manichaean talk of stormers and citadels.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Intelsat’s leadership rapidly green-lighted the campaign to set up internet citadels.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Here are six of the most notable castles in Italy.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Eventually building sand castles at the beach with his kids.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These individuals shaped Charleston’s politics and economy by building canals, roads, bridges, forts— virtually all the colony’s infrastructure—but their contributions were not documented and their names are unknown.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Massive cannons were stationed at forts across the world, while smaller and more-portable guns accompanied troops and naval (and pirate) vessels.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortresses. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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