rub elbows with

Idioms  

1. Also, rub shoulders with. Mix or socialize with, as in There's nothing like rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, or At the reception diplomats were rubbing shoulders with heads of state. Both of these terms allude to being in close contact with someone. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

The drinks don’t flow, members don’t rub elbows with notable people and chefs aren’t filling plates with tasty bites.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

If one could rewind time and tell a then-17-year-old Judi Marmel that she’d someday rub elbows with and inspire some of the comedic greats, she might actually believe it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2024

On Thursday, he’ll rub elbows with voters at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire, which is a must-stop for candidates circulating through the first-in-the-nation primary state.

From Washington Times • Apr. 11, 2023

There, young students could rub elbows with renowned scientists at work and be inspired by science, particularly astronomy.

From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2022

“It must have been fascinating, to rub elbows with all the glorious flower of elfin nobility and knighthood.”

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin