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Recent Examples of toeholdThe idea is already being piloted in water-scarce communities and gaining a toehold in thirsty industries such as the military and agriculture.—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026 When Spain absorbed Portugal in 1580, Madrid also gained control over the Portuguese colony of Macau, its first real toehold on the Chinese mainland.—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025 And yes, the clash with the Contras erupted in part because Carter’s successor, Ronald Reagan, wanted to reestablish a toehold in the Americas.—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025 The not-so-subtle launching of Golden Globes/BAFTA/Oscars buzz around this or that theatrical product is difficult to ignite, and the producers need a toehold in North America.—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for toehold
Several Chinese brands are starting to get a foothold overseas.
—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
At the commissioner’s court meeting, area residents universally condemned the idea, variously calling it a Trojan horse, a foothold, a wasp’s nest, and a bribe.