1
a
: a hold or place of support for the toes (as in climbing)
b(1)
: a means of progressing (as in surmounting barriers)
(2)
: a slight footing
used his money to get a toehold, then a foothold, then a near stranglehold on the political economy—
R. W. Armstrong
R. W. Armstrong2
: an illegal wrestling hold in which the aggressor bends or twists the other wrestler's foot
Examples of toehold in a Sentence
American companies looking for toeholds in foreign markets.
Recent Examples on the Web
In those early days, scientists weren’t sure that wolves would regain a toehold in the American West.
—Ben Long, The Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2024
And while Peacock isn’t frequently involved in the increasingly common bidding wars, which have ratcheted up to eight figures for top comics, the platform has maintained a toehold with specials including Kevin Hart’s last hour.
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
Since the summer of 2014, ISIS has exploited a governance vacuum and a factional civil war in Libya to expand what was once just a toehold into a foothold.
—Frederic Wehrey, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2016
Ariane 6 also has a toehold in the commercial market, with a contract for 18 launches to deliver satellites to orbit for Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband network.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for toehold 
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Ben Long, The Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2024
And while Peacock isn’t frequently involved in the increasingly common bidding wars, which have ratcheted up to eight figures for top comics, the platform has maintained a toehold with specials including Kevin Hart’s last hour.
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
Since the summer of 2014, ISIS has exploited a governance vacuum and a factional civil war in Libya to expand what was once just a toehold into a foothold.
—Frederic Wehrey, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2016
Ariane 6 also has a toehold in the commercial market, with a contract for 18 launches to deliver satellites to orbit for Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband network.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for toehold
Dictionary Entries Near toehold
Cite this Entry
“Toehold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toehold. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
toehold
noun
toe·hold
ˈtō-ˌhōld 
: a hold or support for the toes (as in climbing)
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