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.
All four players push through the first three rounds, as the footholds get narrower and narrower, but Sol and Teeny drop within seconds of each other right before the final stretch. Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 The creature lived on the ocean floor during the Ordovician Period (485 million to 444 million years ago) at a time when life had only a tentative foothold on land. Katie Hunt, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024 Singh said some of Pyongyang's troops are moving towards Russia's western Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces established a foothold in August. David Brennan, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024 The art world is still flush from Paris fever, with international galleries vying for a foothold in the City of Light, particularly since Brexit in 2016 and the arrival of Art Basel Paris three years ago. Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 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 28 Nov. 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!