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
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That is leading to less frequent competition, which is not helpful for a sport that has long struggled to find a foothold among the behemoths of the NFL and the NBA. Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025 For Hansae, Haiti is not only an additional source of production capacity, but a strategic foothold in Central America, where demand for reliable and cost-competitive manufacturing continues to grow. Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025 The eel, along with other invasive species, are gaining more of a foothold in the southeastern United States, causing concern among resource and wildlife managers, along with state and local agencies tasked with minimizing adverse effects of nonnative plants and animals. Wesley Bruer, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025 This essentially gave Qualcomm a foothold in the automotive market as a critical component supplier. Jim McGregor, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Foothold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foothold. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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
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