as in fortresses
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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Recent Examples of strongholds
Maps are typically redrawn only once a decade after the census, and in California—as in several other Democratic strongholds—an independent commission oversees the process.
—
Solcyré Burga, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The move also highlights the Democratic Party’s internal reckoning over its ideological future, especially in urban strongholds like New York City.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
These districts include Republican strongholds like the southeast shore of Staten Island, southern Brooklyn, and northeast Queens, according to a recent analysis by City Limits, but also blue neighborhoods like Bay Ridge and the Upper West Side.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 24 Oct. 2025
Democrats see wins in battle for suburbia While some Democratic strongholds buttressed by working class voters have grown redder, the suburbs north of Indianapolis appear to be trending in the opposite direction.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
And the housing shortage has spread beyond coastal cities normally dominated by Democrats to rural areas in Republican strongholds.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
The Athletic dips into five games, from outside Europe’s strongholds, that grab the imagination.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
It was found along the Horus War Road, a chain of strongholds in Sinai that served as a military and commercial artery connecting Egypt with Palestine.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Now, with many of those proxies weakened, Iraq has become one of the last strongholds of Iranian influence.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
Solcyré Burga, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The move also highlights the Democratic Party’s internal reckoning over its ideological future, especially in urban strongholds like New York City.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
These districts include Republican strongholds like the southeast shore of Staten Island, southern Brooklyn, and northeast Queens, according to a recent analysis by City Limits, but also blue neighborhoods like Bay Ridge and the Upper West Side.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 24 Oct. 2025
Democrats see wins in battle for suburbia While some Democratic strongholds buttressed by working class voters have grown redder, the suburbs north of Indianapolis appear to be trending in the opposite direction.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
And the housing shortage has spread beyond coastal cities normally dominated by Democrats to rural areas in Republican strongholds.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
The Athletic dips into five games, from outside Europe’s strongholds, that grab the imagination.
—Jack Bantock, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
It was found along the Horus War Road, a chain of strongholds in Sinai that served as a military and commercial artery connecting Egypt with Palestine.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Now, with many of those proxies weakened, Iraq has become one of the last strongholds of Iranian influence.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strongholds
Noun
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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
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Such structures, including residences and fortresses, were created by religious authorities and noble families, according to the city’s tourism website.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The leaders’ reluctance came after last year’s election saw Republicans make notable gains in reliably blue bastions like New Jersey and New York, with some in the party blaming the shift on polarizing social issues embraced by the left.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
5 Nov. 2025
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Two men who represent two different bastions of power — God and country — in Oklahoma are making sermons of a kind.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The exercise also featured swarms of first-person-view (FPV) suicide drones launching precision strikes against mock enemy fortifications.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
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Like Gelamichael, the Ortiz family has constructed cement fortifications around the home for protection, the outlet reported.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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
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Intelsat’s leadership rapidly green-lighted the campaign to set up internet citadels.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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After a precruise stay at the Ritz-Carlton Osaka, the itinerary includes private performances by Kodo taiko drummers and geishas, strolls among cherry blossoms and bonsai trees, and visits to castles and temples, such as the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto.—
Fran Golden,
AFAR Media,
6 Nov. 2025
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Concept art of the Disney/Fortnite video game interface released in 2024 looked like a theme park with multiple Disney castles at a gleaming central hub surrounded by at least eight islands populated with visual nods to familiar Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox brands, films and shows.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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It’s made of dense foam pieces, including a base, cushion and two triangle pillows, allowing kiddos to create forts and obstacle courses along with sturdy, comfortable seating.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
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When Columbus instructed settlers to build forts in large towns, Taínos attacked the settlers in large numbers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strongholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strongholds. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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