footwork

American  

[foot-wurk] / ˈfʊtˌwɜrk /

noun

1. the use of the feet, foot, as in tennis, boxing, or dancing.

2. travel by foot from one place to another, as in gathering facts or fulfilling an assignment; legwork.

   The project entailed a great deal of footwork.

3. the act or process of maneuvering, especially in a skillful manner.

   It took a bit of fancy footwork to avoid the issue.

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footwork British  

/ ˈfʊtˌwɜːk /

noun

1. skilful use of the feet, as in sports, dancing, etc

2. informal clever manoeuvring

   deft political footwork

3. informal preliminary groundwork

   many estate agents now do the footwork – you only need to visit

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Etymology

Origin of footwork

First recorded in 1560–70; foot + work

Example Sentences

Root's patience at the crease, deft footwork and reading of spin made him the linchpin of England's chase and once he settled in, Sri Lanka found it difficult to know where to bowl to him.

From BBC

And it became famous for Ingle's unconventional training methods which allowed his boxers to become flamboyant and cocksure with fancy footwork.

From BBC

Paul was a massive underdog and his tactics against Joshua appeared to be to use his speed and footwork to stay away from the Briton's big punches.

From BBC

He cites improvements in "footwork, defence, staying calm on fight night", adding that experience has allowed him to put combinations, body work and feints together more naturally.

From BBC

It was the perfect storm to take the footwork happening on the streets of L.A. viral.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• airing
• walk