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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Iran has long enjoyed a strong foothold in Lebanon, which had a Shiite plurality if not majority (it’s been decades since the last census). Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2025 As a child, watching other people with their families; as an adult in New York City, clawing for a foothold. Julie Buntin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025 Hanging on to some portion of their land and its advantages gives the Agua Caliente a foothold to rebuild and fight back. Michael Albertus, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025 Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images/Anadolu via Getty Images Avian influenza has a grip on dairy herds in California, a few people have fallen seriously ill in North America and researchers have found that a single mutation could give the virus a better foothold in a person's upper airways. Will Stone, NPR, 30 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foothold 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foothold
Noun
  • Smartwool Active Fleece Wind Gloves $50 at REI Smartwool is well-known for its incredibly warm base layers, but its gloves are also worth mentioning.
    Michelle Polizzi, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2025
  • Russian drones in Ukrainian air space had approached the border of the NATO country at 3:20 a.m., prompting Romania to scramble two F-16 from Borcea to monitor the situation before returning to base two hours later, the statement said.
    Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The money is going toward meals, toiletries, gear and replacing a shower facility at one of the camps, Lewis said.
    Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
  • But years later, in 1988, her husband was killed in another round of fighting in the camp.
    Lauren Frayer, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Colorful Old San Juan is home to the 16th-century Spanish colonial fortress Castillo San Cristobal and other UNESCO World Heritage sites, and fantastic restaurants like Santaella or La Casita Blanca, where the tostones and mofongo are not to be missed.
    Mariette Williams, AFAR Media, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The Skyscrapers of Medieval Italy (Ex Urbe) by Ada Palmer In medieval Italy, factional wars led powerful families to build huge towers that served as little urban fortresses.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 21 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near foothold

Cite this Entry

“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foothold. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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