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/Democratic stronghold
strongholds of snobbery—Lionel Trilling
Lionel TrillingExamples 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
After Israel struck a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut on Sunday, Israelis went to bed expecting to be roused by incoming missiles from Iran.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
Voters in the once-reliable Labor stronghold of Makerfield handed Burnham nearly 55% of the vote, rebuking both Starmer’s faltering government and surging right-wing challenger Reform UK.
—Kwiyeon Ha, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Thanks to climate change, mosquitoes are now found in nearly every corner of the planet, far beyond their strongholds in South America, Central America and Africa.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Alabama is a Republican stronghold, so whoever wins the primary will be heavily favored to prevail in November over either candidate in Tuesday’s Democratic runoff, business owner Dakarai Larriett and lawyer Everett Wess.
—Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stronghold
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Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
Voters in the once-reliable Labor stronghold of Makerfield handed Burnham nearly 55% of the vote, rebuking both Starmer’s faltering government and surging right-wing challenger Reform UK.
—Kwiyeon Ha, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Thanks to climate change, mosquitoes are now found in nearly every corner of the planet, far beyond their strongholds in South America, Central America and Africa.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Alabama is a Republican stronghold, so whoever wins the primary will be heavily favored to prevail in November over either candidate in Tuesday’s Democratic runoff, business owner Dakarai Larriett and lawyer Everett Wess.
—Jesse Bedayn, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stronghold
Cite this Entry
“Stronghold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stronghold
noun
strong·hold
ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld
: fortress
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