footwork

[foo t-wurk]

See more synonyms for footwork on Thesaurus.com

noun

the use of the feet, as in tennis, boxing, or dancing.
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.
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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Origin of footwork

First recorded in 1560–70; foot + work

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for footwork

Contemporary Examples

Smedinghoff sought to make herself more credible by brushing up on her own footwork after-hours.
Anne Smedinghoff, the Hero Diplomat We Lost in Afghanistan
Michael Daly
April 9, 2013
Shuffling around the ring he has the footwork of a tyrannosaurus.
Vitali Klitschko Contemplates Bowing Out of the Ring and Entering Ukrainian Politics
Gordon Marino
March 26, 2013
“Footwork” dancers trade spontaneous steps, competing with each other inside a circle of rapt onlookers.
Why Chicago Is Now America's Hottest City
Raymond Sokolov
February 28, 2011
"It doesn't take a lot of footwork to wire money and transfer client funds from one office to another," said the London source.
Was Madoff 'Victim' and Best Friend an Accomplice?
Lucinda Franks
April 23, 2009

Historical Examples

If there was one thing on which Bugs Butler prided himself, it was footwork.
The Adventures of Sally
P. G. Wodehouse
And now, at the end of a week's somewhat cowardly—footwork, shall we call it?
The Corner of Harley Street
Henry Bashford
Your footwork is the worst I ever saw, Madigan—but—well, I'd like to talk to you.
Rolling Stones
O. Henry
Now footwork was one of the fighting tricks for which Darry was famous.
Dave Darrin's Second Year at Annapolis
H. Irving Hancock
It was all footwork and their progress was very slow, but eventually they won through.
Kindred of the Dust
Peter B. Kyne

British Dictionary definitions for footwork

footwork

noun

skilful use of the feet, as in sports, dancing, etc
informal clever manoeuvringdeft political footwork
informal preliminary groundworkmany estate agents now do the footwork – you only need to visit

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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012