foothold

American  

[foot-hohld] / ˈfʊtˌhoʊld /

noun

footholds plural

1. a place or support for the feet; a place where a person may stand or walk securely.

2. a secure position, especially a firm basis for further progress or development.

   They gained a foothold in the New York market before beginning their national campaign.

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foothold British  

/ ˈfʊtˌhəʊld /

noun

1. a ledge, hollow, or other place affording a secure grip for the foot, as during climbing

2. a secure position from which further progress may be made

   a foothold for a successful career

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• footholds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of foothold

First recorded in 1615–25; foot + hold ¹

Explanation

A foothold is a flat or steady area on which you can put your foot when you're climbing. Part of the trick to rock climbing is learning to find good footholds. A literal foothold is wide enough for you to fit your foot and sturdy enough to hold your weight, and a figurative foothold gives you this same sense of security, usually setting you up to make progress. For example, your first published magazine piece can give you a foothold in the field of freelance writing. This sense of foothold dates from the mid-17th century, meaning "stable ground from which to act."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foothold footholds

The company is in talks with digital-currency exchange Crypto.com to expand the brokerage firm’s foothold in prediction markets, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

As Europe ramps up its rearmament drive, US aerospace giant Boeing is seeking a foothold in the emerging market for autonomous fighter aircraft, showcasing its capabilities at the Farnborough airshow this week.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

After over a decade of heavy investment and technical breakthroughs, China has developed a key foothold in a famously volatile market.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

This therefore provides us, for once with a concrete foothold on Neanderthal social organization.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026

And although a part of me knows how ridiculous my thoughts sound, there’s another part of me that gives a foothold to my awful “What if?”

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

He cited Texas-based petroleum companies Murphy Oil and Apache Oil, a subsidiary of APA, as firms that have already established international footholds.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

During his first term, Russia and China both established footholds in the Persian Gulf region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026

He also said al-Qaeda and Islamic State group were "once again becoming more ambitious" and "taking advantage of instability overseas to gain firmer footholds".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025

Following the death of 20-year-old Grace Rohloff, climbers say adding more footholds could make the trek less harrowing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2024

And as they climbed, they found the ground firmer, the handholds more secure, the footholds less liable to roll and twist their ankles.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• footing
• niche
• perch
• toehold