as in strongholds
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
the boys built a snow fortress and then challenged the neighborhood kids to an in-your-face snowball fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 fortresses
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, 19 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, history buffs will love exploring the island’s capital via colorful Spanish-colonial architecture and imposing, ancient fortresses like La Fortaleza and El Morro.
—Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Collective investments in resilience are cheaper than everyone building their own fortresses.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Tour the fortresses, stroll through the town’s central market, and visit Spianada Square, the largest square in Greece.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026
While the prison grounds have no high fences, the prison units exist as separate fortresses, successors to the long wooden barracks that were once here.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Secure capitals While both India and Pakistan have historically faced significant security threats, their capitals are meant to be fortresses – home to the seats of government, military leadership, and the diplomatic corps.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Andermatt, Switzerland High in the Alps, where trains wind through snowbound passes and peaks rise like fortresses, Andermatt is one of Switzerland’s most dynamic winter destinations.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
France believed its Maginot Line of fortresses was impregnable – until the Germans simply went around it.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, history buffs will love exploring the island’s capital via colorful Spanish-colonial architecture and imposing, ancient fortresses like La Fortaleza and El Morro.
—Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Collective investments in resilience are cheaper than everyone building their own fortresses.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Tour the fortresses, stroll through the town’s central market, and visit Spianada Square, the largest square in Greece.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026
While the prison grounds have no high fences, the prison units exist as separate fortresses, successors to the long wooden barracks that were once here.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Secure capitals While both India and Pakistan have historically faced significant security threats, their capitals are meant to be fortresses – home to the seats of government, military leadership, and the diplomatic corps.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Andermatt, Switzerland High in the Alps, where trains wind through snowbound passes and peaks rise like fortresses, Andermatt is one of Switzerland’s most dynamic winter destinations.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortresses
Noun
-
Meanwhile, in deep-blue strongholds, law-abiding people and small shop owners keep getting treated like background characters in someone else’s morality play.—
Larry Clifton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But Maples, and another Republican running for the Florida Senate, Brian Nathan, lost to Democrats in the latest sign that Democrats are performing well in traditional Republican strongholds.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Javelin missile systems are portable antitank weapons also designed to destroy low-flying helicopters and other fortifications.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Star fortifications started in Italy, were perfected in France (especially by the prolific Vauban), and dominated the European military scene for the entire 17th and 18th centuries, giving Europe’s strategic cities and landscapes a distinctive architectural look.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Military engineers resorted to building lower, thicker ramparts, backed by earth, and sought to eliminate blind spots by building angular bastions — the aforementioned extrusions.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The first round brought mixed results for the party, which got re-elected in several cities but failed to make major wins beyond its southern and northern bastions.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The story is a bit murkier than Manichaean talk of stormers and citadels.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Intelsat’s leadership rapidly green-lighted the campaign to set up internet citadels.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The fantasy story is set in a world of emperors and empresses, replete with castles and lavish costumes.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Also enjoy beach games, building sand castles, practicing beach safety and using boogie boards and kickboards.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The resulting star forts (so called because of their multiple fortified extrusions) solved a technological crisis.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Our boys were no longer little travelers content to trail along behind us through forts and museums.—
Christine Chitnis,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortresses. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
