as in bases
a place from which an advance (as for military operations) is made
established a bridgehead on the beach before beginning the land invasion
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Recent Examples of bridgeheads
Ukraine has sought to derail the Kremlin’s plans by launching counterattacks in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, where Russian forces have sought to carve out bridgeheads with an aim to advance toward the regional capitals, which are key industrial hubs.
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ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bridgeheads
Noun
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And by the turn of the twenty-first century, most of those tiny bungalows had been replaced by sprawling estates—fortresses for the entertainment elite, where Oscar trophies adorned mantels and wealth guarded from disaster.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
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Any pivot toward diplomacy that includes sanctions relief — whether proposed in Washington or Berlin — ignores the fundamental Machiavellian truth that a regime hated by its own people cannot be saved by its external fortresses, but it can be artificially sustained by foreign gold.—
Liram Koblentz-Stenzler,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Noun
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Without due process, everyone of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast was forced to abandon (or sell, usually at a significant loss) their homes, farms and businesses before being put in camps like Manzanar.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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Lewis had a successful solo career, her breakup with Sennett left some lasting scars, professionally and personally, and communication between the two camps seemed largely nonexistent.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The local voting also provides an opening for smaller parties, independents and outsider candidates to gain political footholds that would be far harder to achieve in national parliamentary races.—
Inaya Folarin Iman,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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The second generation, which began in the early 2000s, saw K-pop gain footholds in regional markets like China, Japan and Southeast Asia.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Food and drink All-day restaurant Pure serves up a sprawling breakfast buffet complete with omelette and pancake stations, heaving tropical fruit platters, and baked goods galore, including Polynesian treats like coconut bread.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
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Some local stations in Richmond and Salt Lake City dropped the show following viewer outcry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
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That fear, in 2026, centers on how rapid information exchange and artificial intelligence are reshaping human thought into something collective and homogenized.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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The late Pope Francis famously stayed away from the big European centers of Christianity during his 12-year pontificate, preferring instead to visit small Catholic communities far from Rome.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bridgeheads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bridgeheads. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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