as in bases
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
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Recent Examples of footholds
Russian war bloggers expect a new Moscow effort to create more footholds in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
—
ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The struggle for literacy, for safety, for economic footholds — these are not sepia-toned memories.
—Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026
In the later stage of the challenge, tribes were tasked with finding a way to climb a steep ramp with no footholds to reach a puzzle platform.
—Keisha Rowe, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Feb. 2026
Dan could see no footholds ex‑ cept a crystal shaped like a domino pasted onto the rock.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
Apart from its soft-power flexes, China has become a leading arms supplier to the region while establishing footholds for its military, such as the Espacio Lejano Space Station, an advanced radar system China operates in the Patagonian desert under a 50-year lease from the government of Argentina.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026
Corporate landlords and investment firms own less than 5% of the nation’s 87 million homes, according to BatchData, though that fraction is growing and obscures bigger footholds in local markets.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
The magnitude of the action stretches from Venezuela to China, Russia and Iran, all of which seek footholds in Venezuela, threatening stability for American and democratic interests.
—John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Create footholds for bats to roost.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The struggle for literacy, for safety, for economic footholds — these are not sepia-toned memories.
—Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026
In the later stage of the challenge, tribes were tasked with finding a way to climb a steep ramp with no footholds to reach a puzzle platform.
—Keisha Rowe, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Feb. 2026
Dan could see no footholds ex‑ cept a crystal shaped like a domino pasted onto the rock.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
Apart from its soft-power flexes, China has become a leading arms supplier to the region while establishing footholds for its military, such as the Espacio Lejano Space Station, an advanced radar system China operates in the Patagonian desert under a 50-year lease from the government of Argentina.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026
Corporate landlords and investment firms own less than 5% of the nation’s 87 million homes, according to BatchData, though that fraction is growing and obscures bigger footholds in local markets.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
The magnitude of the action stretches from Venezuela to China, Russia and Iran, all of which seek footholds in Venezuela, threatening stability for American and democratic interests.
—John Brummett, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Create footholds for bats to roost.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footholds
Noun
-
Across the Northeast, a host of summer camps deliver a mix of old-school camp experiences — complete with arts and crafts, s’mores and lakeside fun — but with decidedly adult upgrades such as cocktails and chic bunkhouses.—
Robin Roenker,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Chinese immigrants who arrived during the California gold rush and built the Central Pacific railroad were attacked and expelled from towns and mining camps across the American West.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Surface tanks are targets; subsurface reservoirs are fortresses.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
France believed its Maginot Line of fortresses was impregnable – until the Germans simply went around it.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ukraine has sought to derail the Kremlin’s plans by launching counterattacks in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, where Russian forces have sought to carve out bridgeheads with an aim to advance toward the regional capitals, which are key industrial hubs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Changing consumer appetites Once the primary source of community news and information, local TV news stations are struggling with their own tough story, one marked by declining ratings, stagnant revenue growth and rapid shifts in how media is consumed in the internet era.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Nexstar operates 201 stations in 116 television markets; Tegna operates 64 full-power broadcast television stations.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Iran also is targeting data centers with both cyber and conventional weapons, showing how important the centers have become to the economy, communications and military information security.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Iran has wreaked havoc on military bases, tourist centers and data centers used by America’s largest tech giants with swarms of low-cost Shahed drones that cost between $20,000 and $50,000, according to public estimates.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Footholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footholds. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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