Definition of footholdnext
as in base
a place from which an advance (as for military operations) is made don't let the opposing team push us back down the field and gain a foothold

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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 foothold Experts say Washington essentially sees Okinawa as its strategic foothold to deploy militarily in the region and beyond, and the island is seen by both countries as important for monitoring China, the Taiwan Strait and the Korean peninsula. — CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Then Grok can assist with choosing how the malware tries to keep its foothold on that machine. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Forget WarnerMount or ParaBros — David Ellison will name his new media conglomerate after the production company that gave him a foothold in Hollywood. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026 The New York representative has been a big name in the Democratic Socialists of America as socialists establish a political foothold in positions across the country. — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for foothold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foothold
Noun
  • Last weekend in Highland, Michigan, Rogers dismissed El-Sayed's attempts to whittle away at his GOP base of support.
    — Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The entry-level system for this 16-inch AI workstation is outfitted with Nvidia’s base-model 18-core RTX Spark N1X chip, which uses the 18-core Grace CPU processor, and its Blackwell GPU with 5,120 CUDA cores.
    — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Palestinians fled the camp in 2025 as the Israeli military carried out a widespread crackdown against West Bank militants.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Piane’s compositions provided a foundation for contestants to showcase their personalities, give memorable performances and embrace the camp and theatricality that became hallmarks of the franchise.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The Roman city of Cologne and a legionary fortress in Bonn were also nearby — raising the possibility of a military connection.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Supporters of the movement gathered in New Delhi Saturday despite the capital turning into a fortress to keep out protesters.
    — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foothold. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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