stronghold
Americannoun
-
a defensible place; fortress
-
a major centre or area of predominance
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stronghold
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at strong, hold 1
Explanation
A stronghold is a building or other structure that is safe from attack. A fortress is a perfect example of a stronghold. A castle or fort surrounded by stone walls and moats is one kind of stronghold; they are built to keep the people or valuables inside them safe from invading armies. You might build a stronghold of driftwood and rocks around your prized sand sculpture on the beach, or even a figurative stronghold around yourself — to guard against having your feelings hurt.
Vocabulary lists containing stronghold
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse
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The High King
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Pay Attention, Carter Jones
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
El-Fasher was the army's last stronghold in the western region of Darfur until it fell to the RSF and allied Arab militias after 18 months last October.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
When the entire forest appeared to be storming his stronghold, Macbeth realized his folly too late.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Places like Wigan - in Greater Manchester, Burnham's stronghold - often languish next to the bigger cities in whose shadow they sit.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Morales, the country's first Indigenous president, is in hiding in his coca-growing stronghold of Chapare to escape charges of trafficking a minor, which he denies.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Or the dwarven stronghold of Cibola, an underground city made completely of gold.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Nigeria has been fighting a jihadist conflict that over the years has seen armed Islamist groups spread and fracture outside their strongholds in the northeast.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
According to the indictment, the Hoovers had strongholds over specific hotels and motels in their territory, including the Stadium Inn & Spas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
How far does Zohran Mamdani’s political approach and appeal carry beyond liberal strongholds in city centers?
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
Another U.S. goal is to aggressively counter anti-American propaganda by Islamist extremist groups, which the administration says have been driven from strongholds in the Middle East and are “exploiting the ungoverned spaces” across Africa.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
You must not picture it like the ruined strongholds, with mortar crumbling between the stones, which you see today.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
