stronghold
noun
strong·hold
ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld 
1
: a fortified place
2
a
: a place of security or survival
one of the last strongholds of the ancient Gaelic language—
George Holmes
George Holmes
b
: a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic
a Republican stronghold
strongholds of snobbery—Lionel Trilling
Lionel TrillingSynonyms
Examples of stronghold in a Sentence
The area is a Republican stronghold.
The rebels retreated to their mountain stronghold.
the last stronghold of the endangered deer
Recent Examples on the Web
The Republican parties in Milwaukee and Dane counties filed complaints accusing election officials in Wisconsin's two Democratic strongholds of failing to hire the number of Republican election workers required by law in last week's election.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
European luxury houses are legacy companies, often with family strongholds.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024
Once considered a Democratic stronghold, Florida’s heavily Latino Miami-Dade County — 69% of its residents identify as Hispanic or Latino — has become a fascinating battleground county ahead of the 2024 election.
—Andrés González, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
But Republican groups argued the money was largely spent in Democratic strongholds and tilted the results of the race.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
Newcastle was a Labour stronghold, as was the rest of the northeast.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Conversely, the plaintiffs were 19 Black Michiganders living in 13 different state House and Senate districts that each include a portion of Detroit, a longtime Democratic stronghold.
—Keith A. Owens, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024
Israeli forces say hospitals in the Palestinian enclave where war has been raging for over five months have frequently been used as strongholds of Hamas militants harboring bases and weapons.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Why counting ballots takes time Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoes bipartisan housing bill, citing 'unclear outcomes'
Election day turnout was similarly depressed in Pinal County, a Republican stronghold.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024
Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
European luxury houses are legacy companies, often with family strongholds.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024
Once considered a Democratic stronghold, Florida’s heavily Latino Miami-Dade County — 69% of its residents identify as Hispanic or Latino — has become a fascinating battleground county ahead of the 2024 election.
—Andrés González, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
But Republican groups argued the money was largely spent in Democratic strongholds and tilted the results of the race.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
Newcastle was a Labour stronghold, as was the rest of the northeast.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Conversely, the plaintiffs were 19 Black Michiganders living in 13 different state House and Senate districts that each include a portion of Detroit, a longtime Democratic stronghold.
—Keith A. Owens, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024
Israeli forces say hospitals in the Palestinian enclave where war has been raging for over five months have frequently been used as strongholds of Hamas militants harboring bases and weapons.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Why counting ballots takes time Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoes bipartisan housing bill, citing 'unclear outcomes'
Election day turnout was similarly depressed in Pinal County, a Republican stronghold.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stronghold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stronghold
Cite this Entry
“Stronghold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stronghold
noun
strong·hold
ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld
: fortress
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