whose foothold

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "whose foothold" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the ownership or control of a position or influence in a particular context, often in discussions about power, territory, or influence. Example: "The company is expanding its operations into new markets, seeking to establish a foothold in regions where it previously had none, whose foothold will be crucial for its growth."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Not to forget Russia, whose foothold in the Caucasus has been secured by a recent military pact with Armenia.The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which has been trying to solve the Karabakh puzzle, is still at a loss.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

With its initial center of gravity in Jena, the famous university town and intellectual powerhouse of the time, the romantic circle soon moved its foothold to Berlin, whose vivid salon scene offered welcoming new quarters.

SEP

Although disturbances tend to negatively affect populations of resident plants, animals, and other organisms in a given ecosystem, they provide some fugitive species with opportunities to move into and gain footholds in ecosystems whose biological communities once excluded them.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Kirsten acknowledged that women have had an agonizingly difficult time gaining a creative foothold in classical music, whose repertory is male-dominated to a stifling degree.

The New Yorker

Oscar Isaac brings a simmering energy to the title character, a respected but penniless singer-songwriter, no longer young, whose increasingly frenzied struggle for a foothold in the business wreaks chaos among friends and family.

The New Yorker

Every day, AFSCME members are on the frontlines in unemployment offices, emergency rooms, and every other public facility where the poor and middle class try to find a foothold in a country whose economic terrain is increasingly rocky for all but the wealthy.

Huffington Post

The program will be called 'Sip New York".' It is pointless, he said, for Long Island producers to ignore the Finger Lakes, whose wineries have been establishing competitive footholds in New York wine shops and restaurants.

The New York Times

James McIver, of Oregon State University, who heads an interagency federal research effort on restoring sagebrush ecosystems, explained that cheatgrass — so called by farmers whose wheat yields dropped when it gained a foothold — "gets into interstices in the sagebrush plant, grows right under the sagebrush".

The New York Times - Science

It is particularly telling that on the very June afternoon Kinnear announced his Tyneside return, Jakaya Kikwete, the president of Tanzania, toured Sunderland's Academy of Light training complex with Short, whose desire to gain a commercial and scouting foothold in Africa has led Sunderland to help fund a football academy in Dar es Salaam.

The Guardian - Sport

The move is a bid by FedEx fdx, whose annual revenue was $18 billion, to get a better foothold in the e-commerce parcel business currently dominated by UPS ups, which claims between 60% and 70% of that market.

Forbes

In short, Volkswagen attracted a foothold among the materially secure, white middle class whose members made up the bulk of suburbanites in the fifties.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "whose foothold", ensure the context clearly establishes who is being referred to. For instance, specify the entity or individual before using this possessive phrase to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "whose foothold" when the ownership or control of the 'foothold' is unclear or contested. Ensure the possessive pronoun accurately reflects the entity that has established the 'foothold'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "whose foothold" functions as a possessive determiner followed by a noun. It is used to specify the entity or individual that possesses a particular 'foothold', indicating ownership or control over that position. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically correct and provides examples to illustrate its use.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Encyclopedias

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "whose foothold" is a grammatically correct, though relatively rare, phrase used to inquire about or specify the entity that possesses a particular position or advantage. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is most commonly found in News & Media and Science contexts. When using the phrase, ensure clarity in specifying the entity to whom the 'foothold' belongs to. Alternative phrases like "whose initial advantage" or "to whom does the foothold belong" can be used depending on the context. It is crucial to avoid ambiguity by ensuring the possessive pronoun accurately reflects the entity with the established position.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

whose toehold

Substitutes 'foothold' with 'toehold', suggesting a less secure or smaller advantage.

the foothold belonging to whom

Rephrases the question to emphasize the ownership aspect of the foothold.

to whom does the foothold belong

Focuses on direct ownership and belonging, altering sentence structure.

whose initial advantage

Replaces 'foothold' with 'initial advantage', highlighting the early stage of control.

whose starting point

Substitutes 'foothold' with 'starting point', emphasizing the beginning of an endeavor.

whose base of operations

Replaces 'foothold' with 'base of operations', suggesting a strategic location.

whose acquired position

Focuses on the act of gaining the 'foothold' rather than the 'foothold' itself.

whose beachhead

Uses 'beachhead' as a more militaristic synonym for 'foothold'.

whose foundation

Emphasizes the foundational aspect of the 'foothold'.

whose platform

Replaces 'foothold' with 'platform', implying a base for further action or development.

FAQs

How can I use "whose foothold" in a sentence?

Use "whose foothold" to indicate possession or control of a position or advantage. For example, "The company is assessing "whose foothold" in the market is strongest."

What's a good alternative to "whose foothold"?

Alternatives include "whose initial advantage", "whose base of operations", or "to whom does the foothold belong", depending on the specific context.

Is it more appropriate to say "whose foothold" or "who's foothold"?

"Whose foothold" is correct when indicating possession. "Who's foothold" (with an apostrophe) is a contraction of "who is" and is grammatically incorrect in this context.

In what contexts is "whose foothold" typically used?

"Whose foothold" is often used in discussions of business strategy, political power, or territorial control to identify which entity or individual possesses an initial advantage or established position.