shoulder to shoulder

Idioms  

1. In close proximity or cooperation, as in The volunteers worked shoulder to shoulder in the effort to rescue the miners. This expression originated in the late 1500s in the military, at first signifying troops in close formation. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shoulder to shoulder

So in Beijing in September last year, Kim Jong Un was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with China's leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the first public meeting of all three.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

"It is precisely because France stands shoulder to shoulder with the Iranian people, supporting their artists, scientists and researchers, that two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately attacked on 19 July," Barrot said on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

The FA said it stands "shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues" on the matter.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

“They were shoulder to shoulder, bellies to backs,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Percy managed to rise and found himself shoulder to shoulder with Jason.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• collectively
• in tandem
• jointly
• simultaneously
• together