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 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
Poilievre, however, maintains a stronghold in the Prairies and Alberta, where Conservative support remains dominant.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Israel's military is also intensifying an offensive against a Palestinian militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank, deploying tanks there for the first time in more than two decades.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 23 Feb. 2025
Over the past years of recalls, a global pandemic, avian flu and price shocks, the ranch maintained a reputation as one of the region’s last strongholds of fresh, affordable, trustworthy eggs.
—Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025
Instead, Hispanic voters in traditional Democratic strongholds have shifted rightward, and in the last election, many Democratic voters in cities simply stayed home.
—J. David Goodman, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stronghold
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.
Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Israel's military is also intensifying an offensive against a Palestinian militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank, deploying tanks there for the first time in more than two decades.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 23 Feb. 2025
Over the past years of recalls, a global pandemic, avian flu and price shocks, the ranch maintained a reputation as one of the region’s last strongholds of fresh, affordable, trustworthy eggs.
—Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025
Instead, Hispanic voters in traditional Democratic strongholds have shifted rightward, and in the last election, many Democratic voters in cities simply stayed home.
—J. David Goodman, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stronghold
Cite this Entry
“Stronghold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stronghold
noun
strong·hold
ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld
: fortress
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share