fortresses

plural of fortress
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 fortresses On one side are those who build fortresses of predictability. Nilton Bernini, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Libraries 'don't want to be fortresses' Neither Jackson, UCLA, nor UC Berkeley responded to requests for comment. Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 15 July 2026 There are also those invested in the lore and mystique, especially of the fortresses and palaces said to have inspired books and movies. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2026 While typical apparel brands struggle with changing seasonal trends and thin profits, giants such as LVMH, Christian Dior, Hermès, Richemont and Nike have built financial fortresses. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 Some, like France's Maginot Line, became border fortresses stretching for miles, while German coastal defenses sat on the cliffs of Normandy, requiring the Allies to take out with sea bombardments and direct infantry assaults. David Szondy june 23, New Atlas, 23 June 2026 And by the turn of the twenty-first century, most of those tiny bungalows had been replaced by sprawling estates—fortresses for the entertainment elite, where Oscar trophies adorned mantels and wealth guarded from disaster. Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 Any pivot toward diplomacy that includes sanctions relief — whether proposed in Washington or Berlin — ignores the fundamental Machiavellian truth that a regime hated by its own people cannot be saved by its external fortresses, but it can be artificially sustained by foreign gold. Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortresses
Noun
  • Continue reading … URBAN BET — Coastal workers fleeing blue strongholds could create an opportunity for Detroit.
    , FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • But in recent months, skepticism about the presumption has also come from judges appointed by Republicans, such as McElroy, or in GOP strongholds.
    J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 28 July 2026
Noun
  • The historic military fort overlooks the entrance to the Halifax Harbour and boasts old fortifications, historic artifacts, and unbeatable ocean views.
    Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • That is, in part, because Ukraine has built additional lines of defense with fortifications and minefields.
    Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • Some of the largest arrays are planned for places that have historically been bastions of anti-solar sentiment.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • The property’s infinity pool is one of its defining features, offering sweeping views across the surrounding bastions and historic landscape.
    Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • Though the song is heavily acoustic, its distorted guitar solos hail squarely from the realm of harder rock, and the artificial choirs that seep in toward the end seem to call out to the symphonic citadels of the Norwegian black metallers.
    Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026
  • One of the oldest citadels in the Middle East, Jerash has seen an unbroken chain of human occupation since the Bronze Age.
    Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • Just running around wearing cloaks, slinking into and out of castles, slicing the throats of all who cross her.
    Brian Grubb, Vulture, 27 July 2026
  • Families can explore Budapest, wander through Bratislava's Old Town, bike through Austria's Wachau Valley, or visit castles and historic towns along the river.
    Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • The backstory There are countless historic military forts dotting the islands of Casco Bay, but Fort Scammel on House Island is the only one to have ever seen combat.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • Increasing Spanish costs for defense, such as building forts and training militia, led to higher taxes and strained local economies.
    Lindsay Schakenbach Regele, The Conversation, 13 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fortresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortresses. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on fortresses

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster