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

b

: a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic

a Republican/Democratic stronghold

strongholds of snobbery

—Lionel Trilling

Synonyms of stronghold

• fortress
• bastion
• citadel
• fortification
• castle
• fort

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

Moody has so far refused to debate Nixon, hoping instead to ride political gravity in a formerly purple state that has become a Republican stronghold. — Zoe Millán, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

During the final phase of the war in Gaza, Israel and the United States caused significant military and economic damage to Houthi strongholds in Yemen. — April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026

The rebels reported 48 airstrikes over 12 hours in the provinces of Jawf, Marib, Hodeida, Taiz, Bayda and Saada, the rebels' stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia. — Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026

The city remains one of Ukraine’s last strongholds in the Donbas region, but the Russians are getting dangerously close. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stronghold

• ahold
• behold
• billfold
• blindfold
• cajoled
• consoled
• controlled
• cotswold
• eightfold
• enfold
• enrolled
• extolled

Kids Definition

stronghold

noun

strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld 

: fortress