Meaning & use

foothold

noun·Academic

A secure position or place to put one's foot, especially one that allows further progress to be made.

See it in a sentence

The climber finally found a foothold on the icy rock face and pulled herself higher.

The small business gained a foothold in the crowded market by offering lower prices.

A note on using this word

Often used figuratively for an initial, secure position in a competitive situation, as well as literally for climbing.

Words with a similar meaning

toeholdpurchase

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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