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 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 The west of France, once a stronghold of the Socialist Party, went to Macron. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Diego Ibarra Sánchez for NPR The previous week, an Israeli airstrike in the Hezbollah stronghold of Nabatieh, about 30 miles north of the Naqoura region at the Lebanese-Israeli border, killed seven members of the Berjawi family in their home on the night of Feb. 14. Diego Ibarra Sánchez, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 Ukraine has lost only a few armored vehicles in its grueling defensive fight in—and now outside of—Avdiivka, a former Ukrainian stronghold just northwest of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. David Axe, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Years of fighting has turned the town into a heavily fortified stronghold, with entrenchments built up over the past eight years. Tim Lister, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024 The region was a stronghold for Trump in the 2016 primary. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Feb. 2024 The minister went on to reiterate Israel's stance on a potential military operation in Rafah, which Israel says to be the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza. NBC News, 21 Feb. 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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stronghold

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

More from Merriam-Webster on stronghold

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