beachhead

[ beech-hed ]

/ ˈbitʃˌhɛd /

Save This Word!

noun

the area that is the first objective of a military force landing on an enemy shore.

a secure initial position that has been gained and can be used for further advancement; foothold: The company has won a beachhead in the personal computer market.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of beachhead

First recorded in 1935–40; beach + head

Words nearby beachhead

beach face, beach flea, beachfront, beach goldenrod, beach grass, beachhead, Beach-la-Mar, beachmaster, beach pea, beach plum, beach ridge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use beachhead in a sentence

Obama maintained this suburban beachhead in 2012, and four years later, Hillary Clinton picked up Gwinnett and two other diversifying counties.
Why a key Georgia country flipped from red to blue—and what it means for Democrats|matthewheimer|December 27, 2020|Fortune
All these moves were meant to protect the networks’ legacy linear businesses — where they draw the majority of their viewership and revenue — as they established their streaming beachheads.
TV networks begin to signal willingness to prioritize streaming over linear|Tim Peterson|July 29, 2020|Digiday
Nor are attempts at establishing a Randian beachhead in the curriculum entirely new.
Make Them Read Rand! A Scheme in Idaho to Put Objectivism in Schools|Michael Moynihan|February 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Now, having secured the beachhead, he has to hold it and even advance.
Michael Tomasky: Obama’s High-Stakes Gamble on Gay Marriage|Michael Tomasky|May 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Rather, he argued, “this is a case where it ought to be easy to establish a beachhead [and] say that coercion matters.”
Supreme Court Finishes Hearing Health-Care Law Arguments|Ben Jacobs|March 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Newt was there at the beachhead at the beginning of all of this [in the 1980] Reagan Revolution.
Florida Gets Ugly|Lois Romano|January 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Limp and trembling, she clung to my neck as we sprinted past the beachhead fray.
The Extinction Parade: An Original Zombie Story by Max Brooks|Max Brooks|January 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
As long as the beachhead of the underground invasion remained small, its blocking would not impair the functions of The Brain.
The Brain|Alexander Blade
It is only a small town, that Beachhead; but still, being a sea-coast town, there is a good deal of stir about it.
Karl Krinken, His Christmas Stocking|Susan Warner
Dont you think it is a great deal pleasanter than it would be if Beachhead was away off in the country, out of sight of the water?
Karl Krinken, His Christmas Stocking|Susan Warner
I dont believe theres a school-girl in Beachhead that can broil a blue fish as you can.
Karl Krinken, His Christmas Stocking|Susan Warner
But when Christmas-morning rose, the whole of Beachhead was softly and smoothly covered with white.
Karl Krinken, His Christmas Stocking|Susan Warner

British Dictionary definitions for beachhead

beachhead

/ (ˈbiːtʃˌhɛd) /

noun military

an area on a beach that has been captured from the enemy and on which troops and equipment are landed

the object of an amphibious operation

Word Origin for beachhead

C20: modelled on bridgehead

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012