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

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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 fortresses Most of them can’t afford to outfit their own individual townhouses like armed fortresses as Swift has. Bridget Read, Curbed, 1 Sep. 2026 The area’s landscape charms visitors with its green hills, rural farmland, and dramatic medieval castles and fortresses. Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 The two studio lots also boast dozens of soundstages; century-old fortresses that would not be easily duplicated. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Once their homes are converted into makeshift fortresses of cookie boxes, scouts like Olive, Shannon Elizabeth, Ara, and Nikki—the protagonists of the documentary—get to work selling them. Bedatri D. Choudhury, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Aug. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortresses
Noun
  • Denmark hopes to foster a closer relationship with Florida, Sorensen said, because the two are strongholds in life sciences and maritime industries.
    Zoey Thomas, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In the Almería suburb of La Cañada, one of Vox’s strongholds, those talking points are producing results.
    Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • During the seven years that it was occupied by British forces, Manhattan had been ravaged by fires, picked over by looters, covered in fortifications, and swollen with refugees.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • The problem is, these companies act much more like private enterprises than bastions of science.
    Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Perhaps because the Venice Biennale remains one of the few bastions in the world defending freedom of expression, regardless of geographical origin or nationality.
    John Bleasdale, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Castellón To the north, Castellón unfolds as a mountainous marvel where medieval citadels, golden beaches, and tiny fishing villages create a landscape of contrasts, with the scent of citrus perfuming the air.
    Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Aargau Cantonal Police said one person was killed and five others were wounded after shots were fired at the event in the town of Aarau, a scenic area known for its lush valleys, medieval castles and thermal springs.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The mountains, castles, and ruins of Ashina enable a unique traversal system.
    Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Under Spanish rule, able-bodied Malay men, from teenagers to adults, were required to perform 40 days of unpaid annual labor on roads, bridges, churches, forts, piers, plantations, haciendas and mines.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • A number of defensive forts were planned across the island, including one to be erected right where the Africans had been buried.
    Victoria Davies, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026

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“Fortresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortresses. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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