as in fortresses
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
the island was the pirates' last stronghold in the West Indies
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Recent Examples of strongholds
With nearly all the votes counted, Angelenos are now getting a more granular understanding of the strongholds built up by each of the top three mayoral candidates.
—
Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Valdez holds a narrow lead in polling of the race that analysts see as a test of Mamdani’s popularity in the district that includes progressive strongholds in western Queens and northern Brooklyn.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
Boston, the lone plaintiff in the lawsuit, asserted that the measure violates the state and federal constitutions and targets Democratic strongholds under the guise of taking politics out of those elections.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
In fact, the tax relief in the governor’s proposal would still benefit wealthy homeowners, and DeSantis has touted Florida as a safe haven for billionaires disillusioned with liberal strongholds like California and New York.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties have long been Democratic strongholds, while Cobb and Gwinnett have shifted increasingly toward Democrats in recent election cycles.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Israel has devastated Gaza in its campaign against Hamas and, in recent weeks, has targeted Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
In the traditional Republican strongholds in the 4th Congressional District, which has been trending Democratic in recent years, Bridgeport gave unanimous support for Fazio.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
Democratic voters in the party’s remaining strongholds in Broward and Palm Beach counties may also have to get used to something unfamiliar — being represented in Congress by a Republican.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Valdez holds a narrow lead in polling of the race that analysts see as a test of Mamdani’s popularity in the district that includes progressive strongholds in western Queens and northern Brooklyn.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026
Boston, the lone plaintiff in the lawsuit, asserted that the measure violates the state and federal constitutions and targets Democratic strongholds under the guise of taking politics out of those elections.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
In fact, the tax relief in the governor’s proposal would still benefit wealthy homeowners, and DeSantis has touted Florida as a safe haven for billionaires disillusioned with liberal strongholds like California and New York.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties have long been Democratic strongholds, while Cobb and Gwinnett have shifted increasingly toward Democrats in recent election cycles.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Israel has devastated Gaza in its campaign against Hamas and, in recent weeks, has targeted Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
In the traditional Republican strongholds in the 4th Congressional District, which has been trending Democratic in recent years, Bridgeport gave unanimous support for Fazio.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
Democratic voters in the party’s remaining strongholds in Broward and Palm Beach counties may also have to get used to something unfamiliar — being represented in Congress by a Republican.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strongholds
Noun
-
The trailers show that Eternia was once a vibrant alien-like world with multi-colored forests, massive mountains and fortresses with towering faces carved into their entrances.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
25 May 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,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The pair bonded over their health journeys, and Hatton’s mother said that the prince and princess had been bastions of compassion up until her daughter’s death.—
Stephanie Bridger-Linning,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
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These residential areas that, in the United States, grew significantly after World War II have been heralded as the embodiment of the American Dream as well as criticized as soulless bastions of homogeneity.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Cannons and fortifications are also on the grounds.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Built as a Crusader castle around the 12th century on top of previous fortifications, it has also been used by Saladin’s Jerusalem army, Mamluks, Ottomans, the French and the Palestine Liberation Organization.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
Noun
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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
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The story is a bit murkier than Manichaean talk of stormers and citadels.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One of England’s great private castles, home to the Dent-Brocklehurst family since the 1830s, Sudeley Castle is the final resting place of Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII.—
Lindsay Cohn,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
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Between Christmas towns, kids can splash around in the small indoor pool or patrol the top deck for Elsa-worthy castles lining the banks of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley.—
Ashlea Halpern,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The brothers spent hours playing around their grandmother’s house—climbing trees, building forts, and racing through cornfields—but their home life was fraught.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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There are also old military forts and the scenic Dyce Head Lighthouse to explore.—
Kira Turnbull,
Travel + Leisure,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strongholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strongholds. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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