stronghold

noun

strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld How to pronounce stronghold (audio)
1
: a fortified place
2
a
: a place of security or survival
one of the last strongholds of the ancient Gaelic languageGeorge Holmes
b
: a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic
a Republican stronghold
strongholds of snobberyLionel Trilling

Examples of stronghold in a Sentence

The area is a Republican stronghold. The rebels retreated to their mountain stronghold. the last stronghold of the endangered deer
Recent Examples on the Web The 3 key trends driving China’s growth potential China has long been a stronghold of global growth potential. Fang Ruan, Fortune Asia, 20 Mar. 2024 Saginaw, a Democratic stronghold, is encircled by predominantly Republican areas within the larger county. Joey Cappelletti, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 California is a stronghold of liberalism, but the Central Valley, where the scent of manure rims the highways and cattle ranchers tend winter grass, is a redoubt of conservatism. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Jerusalem has long viewed Norwegian governments as strongholds of anti-Israeli policies. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 Notably, constituencies in the Central Punjab region—the PML-N’s traditional stronghold—registered the lowest turnout, 49 percent, within the province. Sarah Khan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2024 Coincidentally, that’s also one of the strongholds of StationeryXpress. Brianna Kamienski, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Southern California’s oceanside Republican stronghold continued its rightward march this week, as voters appeared likely to approve two controversial ballot measures that are sure to draw ire and, in one case, legal action from the state’s liberal leaders. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Once a Republican stronghold, Maine has tipped somewhat Democratic in recent years. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stronghold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stronghold was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near stronghold

Cite this Entry

“Stronghold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stronghold

noun
strong·​hold ˈstrȯŋ-ˌhōld How to pronounce stronghold (audio)

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