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

Samson's batting is built on precise footwork, balance at the crease and timing.

From BBC

A smart kick from Smith switched play to Tom Roebuck, and the Sale wing showed deft footwork to scamper in on the stroke of half-time.

From BBC

His flick on to Jones for his first score against England, this his impromptu burst down the short side, his footwork and his chip ahead for the Ben White try.

From BBC

Paulinha Peixoto, 39, who leads the samba dancers, known for striking outfits and dizzying footwork, said putting on a show was "a team effort".

From Barron's

Everything Malinin does, from the flip, to his quad jumps to even some of his tricky footwork, is an opportunity to slip.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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• walk