Were Herat to fall to the Persians, this would give the Russians a crucial and dangerous toe-hold in western Afghanistan.
Source: wiktionary
Toehold
Synonyms for "toehold" (52 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (11)
Strong matches (15)
Related words (26)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: advantage, bear hug, binding overhang, bite, clamp.
- Sentence evidence is available for toehold, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "toehold".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "toehold"
Keep "toehold" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "toehold" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "toehold", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "toehold" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
11 entriesMore specific
10 entriesDNA toeholdRNA toeholdinitial toeholdlong toeholdmarket toeholdpilot toeholdpolicy toeholdregional toeholdshort toeholdstrategic toehold
Collocations
6 entriesDNA toeholdinitial toeholdshort toeholdtoehold positiontoehold strategytoehold switch
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
4 total sentences available.
The tiny old houses and flats of this once impoverished quarter had mostly been refurbished into toeholds for young Atlantans from all around the Anglosphere, poor in equity but rich in expectations, who had come to the great city to incubate their careers.
Source: wiktionary
One in three "adult-kids" who have not left the parental nest say they are still living at home because they cannot afford to get a toehold on the property ladder by buying or renting.
Source: wiktionary
Strachey argued that the Raj was bad for Britain and the British. In Inglorious Empire, Shashi Tharoor argues, with equal passion, that it was much worse for India and the Indians. In 1700, when the British were mere traders clinging on to a few coastal toeholds, the Emperor Aurangzeb ruled over a country that accounted for a quarter of the world’s economy.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "toehold"?
Closest matches include advantage, bear hug, binding overhang, bite, clamp.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "toehold"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.