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

In our family albums, relatives stand shoulder to shoulder with visitors from around the world, dressed with the ease and confidence of a country open to possibility.

From Salon

Nearby, a small group of friends arrived together, standing shoulder to shoulder as they took in the memorial.

From Slate

A spokesperson said if those waiting across Northern Ireland's five health trusts were to stand shoulder to shoulder, the queue would be over two miles longer than it was in November 2024, stretching almost 15 miles.

From BBC

"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.

From BBC

A day later, surf livesavers and lifeguards stood shoulder to shoulder on the beach in solidarity with the Jewish community.

From BBC

Related Words

• collectively
• in tandem
• jointly
• simultaneously
• together