stronghold

noun

strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld How to pronounce stronghold (audio)
1
: a fortified place
2
a
: a place of security or survival
one of the last strongholds of the ancient Gaelic languageGeorge Holmes
b
: a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic
a Republican stronghold
strongholds of snobberyLionel Trilling

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
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.
Corteva, a stronghold seed and pesticide provider in the Indiana agriculture space, will be no more next year as the northwest side company rebrands and spawns its seed business. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 1 Oct. 2025 What To Know The new map eliminates a Democratic stronghold that has been held by the party for 76 years, since 1949. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025 Israel says the city, Gaza’s largest, remains a Hamas stronghold. Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025 It’s considered a Republican stronghold. Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stronghold

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stronghold was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stronghold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

stronghold

noun
strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld How to pronounce stronghold (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on stronghold

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!