stronghold

noun

ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld How to pronounce stronghold (audio)
Definition of strongholdnext
as in fortress
a structure or place from which one can resist attack the island was the pirates' last stronghold in the West Indies

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 stronghold More than 140 polling stations were closed on voting day in the country’s two most-populous regions, Amhara and Oromo — both opposition strongholds — over safety concerns sparked by armed groups fighting the government. — Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 22 June 2026 While English authorities allowed limited migration of Catholics, especially to Maryland, their Colonies remained Protestant strongholds. — Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 Local communities, including Republican strongholds in Georgia and Mississippi, voiced opposition to the projects, staging protests outside the warehouses and derailing city council meetings. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 June 2026 According to Bolivia’s highway authority, active roadblocks fell from around 50 to just 12, with most of the remaining closings concentrated in Cochabamba, the political stronghold of former President Evo Morales. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stronghold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stronghold
  1. fortress
  2. bastion
  3. citadel
  4. fortification
  5. castle
  6. fort
Noun
  • Was a wedding at that hulking fortress in Midtown Manhattan gauche?
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The footage opens with fortress-like coastal imagery before moving into large-scale period sets, suggesting the film will have the epic scope of Hugo’s story while grounding it in a raw visual language.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 2 July 2026
Definition of fortress
Noun
  • Because Cook County and the city of Chicago remain a Democratic bastion, new voters will not have the choice of getting new ideas or a fresh set of eyes from an independent or a Republican candidate.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
  • These organizations claim to be bastions of journalism, Defenders of Democracy, and heroes in the fight for truth in government.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026
Definition of bastion
Noun
  • 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
  • Paton, 52, was in Peru with his wife to hike the Inca Trail, a popular route that ends at Machu Picchu, a citadel built by the Incas in the 15th century.
    — Sam Peters, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
Definition of citadel
Noun
  • By the Second World War, pillboxes had become standard defense fortifications.
    — David Szondy June 23, New Atlas, 23 June 2026
  • During Fascism, the first fortification works arose, but also roads, houses, schools, a hospital.
    — Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Definition of fortification
Noun
  • The hotel’s penthouse-type accommodation is the castle-facing Patina Suite, equipped with its own turntable and sound system plus a minimalist Japanese-style meditation room.
    — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • The score drips with a sinister ostinato as the rats scurry into every corner of her castle.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Definition of castle
Noun
  • Washington and his men had left the fort heading west toward the sounds of gunfire.
    — Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
  • Background and conception Roughs Tower, or HM Fort Roughs, was originally built in 1942, one in a series of large sea forts built in the North Sea by Great Britain during World War II.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026
Definition of fort

Browse Nearby Words

strong drinks
stronghold
strongholds
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Cite this Entry

“Stronghold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stronghold. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stronghold

Nglish: Translation of stronghold for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stronghold

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