foothold

noun

foot·​hold ˈfu̇t-ˌhōld How to pronounce foothold (audio)
1
: a hold for the feet : footing
2
: a position usable as a base for further advance

Examples of foothold in a Sentence

The army gained a foothold on the island. The company has secured a foothold in the market.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Read: How Russia could maintain a foothold in Syria When Bashar faced an Arab Spring uprising in 2011, the paternal genes kicked in. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024 The impending Trump administration has given some Democrats a foothold to argue that the party can't manage another two years under gerontocracy. Andrew Solender, Axios, 3 Dec. 2024 Taking a retrospective look at 2024, Alev spoke extensively about three major trends taking a foothold among consumers: doom spending/revenge shopping, holiday minimalism and intentional shopping and overconsumption/de-influencing. Kanika Talwar, WWD, 2 Dec. 2024 With the rebels regaining a foothold there again, they are no longer cornered in Idlib, which could potentially trigger a domino effect. Lauren Kent, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foothold 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foothold was circa 1577

Dictionary Entries Near foothold

Cite this Entry

“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foothold. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

foothold

noun
foot·​hold -ˌhōld How to pronounce foothold (audio)
1
: a hold for the feet : footing
2
: a position usable as a base for further advance

More from Merriam-Webster on foothold

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!