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

Kraft Heinz KHC -0.08%decrease; down pointing triangle and Disney DIS -1.29%decrease; down pointing triangle struck a deal that gives the food conglomerate a foothold in one of America’s most enduring entertainment empires.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026

But he conceded that there was a firmly established foothold of loyal fans who both watch and play the sport - and that number has been increasing.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

The Long Beach rocket-and-satellite maker is buying a company that provides critical communications services to pilots, mariners and others, while giving Rocket Lab a foothold in the emerging satellite-based mobile phone market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

As he frantically searched for another foothold with his right foot he watched the overhang fall away as the stalk continued growing.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Britain's key military footholds were established along strategic waterways.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

In du Maurier’s world, the usual footholds by which sanity is maintained are always in danger of being kicked away by circumstance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025

Sweden has now joined Nato, meaning that eight Nato countries now border the Baltic Sea where Russia maintains two strategic footholds, in St Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2024

The only relief came from irregularly spaced wooden slats drilled into the rock that provided desperately needed footholds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024

The slant was very steep and there were only a few blocks of wood nailed down, very far apart from each other, that the workmen used for footholds.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Related Words

• footing
• niche
• perch
• toehold