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
Create footholds for bats to roost.
—
Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
Despite a bloody war fought between the two neighbors from 1980 to 1988, Baghdad remains one of Tehran's few remaining footholds in the region.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
In that vein, the brand matrix has been expanded beyond its footholds in skin care and makeup with a greater focus on fragrance, including brands like Vyrao and House of Bō.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2025
Sweeping cuts in federal jobs and the dismantling of corporate DEI programs have disproportionately destabilized these footholds, as MSNBC reported.
—Britney Porter, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
HollyShorts Film Festival is betting big on international expansion, with plans to launch in Dubai this December as the Oscar-qualifying short film showcase looks to establish footholds beyond its Hollywood home base.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
Despite a bloody war fought between the two neighbors from 1980 to 1988, Baghdad remains one of Tehran's few remaining footholds in the region.
—Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
In that vein, the brand matrix has been expanded beyond its footholds in skin care and makeup with a greater focus on fragrance, including brands like Vyrao and House of Bō.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2025
Sweeping cuts in federal jobs and the dismantling of corporate DEI programs have disproportionately destabilized these footholds, as MSNBC reported.
—Britney Porter, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
HollyShorts Film Festival is betting big on international expansion, with plans to launch in Dubai this December as the Oscar-qualifying short film showcase looks to establish footholds beyond its Hollywood home base.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footholds
Noun
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Our analysis tells us that this blend of rebuilding, new development and camps built for their future purpose as suburbs can work.—
Shelly Culbertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
For starters, Laney-Hamilton saw many players on Saturday who have grown from previous camps – both physically and in terms of their games.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For many Americans, universities appear more like fortresses than forums.—
Nicholas Dirks,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Sleek architecture marries centuries-old fortresses—while locals swap skis for kayaks, depending on the season.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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General admission includes access to the sunflower field, pumpkin patch and corn maze, kids’ bounce zones and play areas, a petting zoo featuring alpacas, ponies, donkeys, goats and bunnies, craft stations, photo ops, river walk, live music, vendor marketplace and a free pumpkin.—
Katie Nixon,
Nashville Tennessean,
22 Oct. 2025
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The elegant new stations have cocktail bars named Mary Mary, apparently in reference to Henry Flagler’s first and third wives, who had the same first name.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His first business ventures were reportedly an internet café and gaming centers in the provincial capital Fuzhou.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Southeastern Wisconsin has become the latest hot spot for some of the largest tech companies – Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle – to spend billions on build data centers to further artificial intelligence programming.—
Ricardo Torres,
jsonline.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Footholds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footholds. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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