as in fortress
a structure or place from which one can resist attack
the island was the pirates' last stronghold in the West Indies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stronghold
Pedersen’s company worked in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan.
—
Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Located an hour’s drive east of Zurich, the quiet region is steeped in Swiss tradition, nestled amid the Alpstein Mountains, famous for its distinct namesake cheese, and a stronghold for longstanding cultural moors (yodeling included).
—Jackie Caradonio, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026
Millennials are storming a Boomer political stronghold and hoping voters are ready to trade long resumes for fast legs.
—Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026
Now, only small pockets of staghorn colonies remain farther north, including near Fort Lauderdale, where reefs around Port Everglades now represent one of the species’ last natural strongholds in the continental United States.
—Teresa Tomassoni, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stronghold
Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Located an hour’s drive east of Zurich, the quiet region is steeped in Swiss tradition, nestled amid the Alpstein Mountains, famous for its distinct namesake cheese, and a stronghold for longstanding cultural moors (yodeling included).
—Jackie Caradonio, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2026
Millennials are storming a Boomer political stronghold and hoping voters are ready to trade long resumes for fast legs.
—Gromer Jeffers Jr, Dallas Morning News, 19 Jan. 2026
Now, only small pockets of staghorn colonies remain farther north, including near Fort Lauderdale, where reefs around Port Everglades now represent one of the species’ last natural strongholds in the continental United States.
—Teresa Tomassoni, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stronghold
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stronghold
Noun
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Sometimes they’re even seen walking among the ruins of the imposing 10th-century Ranthambore Fort, a hikeable hilltop fortress in the park’s center brimming with langur monkeys.—
Laura Kiniry,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
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Right now, though, Payton is betting he’s built a fortress impenetrable to such thoughts as long as there is still an opponent ahead.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Politically, it is considered the bastion of conservatism in Canada, though its urban centers, Calgary and Edmonton, are more progressive.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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More outrage came from the entertainment industry, which is often viewed as a liberal bastion.—
Steve Peoples,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The area was once a citadel complex in the time of King Herod, who ruled from 37 to 5 B.C. after he was appointed king of Judea by the Romans.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
11 Dec. 2025
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The sprawling citadel — complete with towers, walls and barracks — was discovered at the Tel el-Kharouba archaeological site in the Sinai Peninsula, according to an Oct. 11 news release from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Hundreds of millions more are dedicated to smaller, local road projects and the fortification of rural bridges.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
15 Jan. 2026
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In September 2023, in the middle of the Northumberland night, a mechanic named Adam Carruthers cut down a sycamore tree more than a century old that stood in a gap along an especially picturesque section of Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman fortification that runs across the narrowest part of England.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Most memorably, Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) knocked out Nigel Berbrooke (Jamie Beamish) with a punch in the Walled Garden area of the 18th-century castle grounds in one scene.—
Kayla Keegan,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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Medieval Times, a dinner show set in a castle from medieval times, opens in Kissimmee.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There are several historical accounts of his ruthlessness to people at the fort.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
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Nicole Fallert Greetings from inside my snow fort.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stronghold.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stronghold. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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