jockey for position
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.
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Nearby words
jock scot, jockey, jockey box, jockey cap, jockey club, jockey for position, jockey shorts, jocko, jockstrap, jockteleg, jocose
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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