Crossword Genius

Violin piece by leader strengthened position (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

bridgehead

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'strengthened position' is the definition.
'bridgehead' can be an answer for 'position' (bridgehead is a kind of position). I am unsure of the 'strengthened' bit.

'violin piece by leader' is the wordplay.
'violin piece' becomes 'bridge'.
'by' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'leader' becomes 'head' (head is a kind of leader).
'bridge'+'head'='BRIDGEHEAD'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for bridgehead that I've seen before include "Advantageous position" , "defensive position" , "Secured position from which to advance" , "Strong position secured inside enemy territory" , "Advanced position secured in enemy territory" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.