footwork

noun

foot·​work ˈfu̇t-ˌwərk 

1

: the activity of moving from place to place

the investigation entailed a lot of footwork

2

: the management of the feet (as in boxing)

also : the work done with them

3

: active and adroit maneuvering to achieve an end

fancy political footwork

Examples of footwork in a Sentence

The investigation required a lot of footwork.

He used quick footwork to dodge his opponent.

The tango involves some fancy footwork.

He knows that getting enough votes for the proposal is going to require some fancy political footwork.

Recent Examples on the Web

The ensuing flurry of footwork and acrobatic whirling, driven by the music, transports Talash somewhere distant. —Rick Maese, Washington Post, 3 July 2024

But the 7-footer threw down alley-oop dunks, rolled hard to the rim and showed off impressive footwork in the post in Sunday’s victory. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 July 2024

The left wing used clever footwork on a dribble drive to create launch space. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2024

As much as teams seemed to love Maye, concerns swirled among some talent evaluators about his footwork. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

footwork

noun

foot·​work -ˌwərk 

: the movement of the feet (as in boxing)