jockey for position

1. Maneuver or manipulate for one's own benefit, as in The singers are always jockeying for position on stage. This expression, dating from about 1900, originally meant maneuvering a race horse into a better position for winning. It was transferred to other kinds of manipulation in the mid-1900s.

Example Sentences

While gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia jockey for position, generating headlines about debates against an AI-generated opponent or a Republican’s awkward overtures to Black voters, and pundits try to read the tea leaves for next year’s midterms, Mamdani may be setting the course for the future of the Democratic Party.

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The Clippers know the stakes are high in the competitive Western Conference, each game more important than the last as they jockey for position among six teams still unsure of their postseason place.

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It’s a meritocracy in that the very best reap the bulk of the reward, while the rest jockey for position, trying to grit through to the next tier.

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was already in “playoff mode” Wednesday, as his club continued to jockey for position in the crowded National League standings.

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The Lakers had an opportunity to move up in the Western Conference standings as teams jockey for position down the stretch.

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Related Words

• battle 
• challenge 
• clash 
• contend 
• contest 
• face 
• fight 
• play 
• spar 
• try 
• vie 
• wrestle