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 Kansas commit has a lot of similarities to Donovan Mitchell in a taller frame, showing great balance and footwork with explosiveness to get off the ground quickly and beat everyone else to the rim. —Jared Weiss, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

Hussain and Lawal took advantage of the space and equipment in Northbrook, spending hours with excited boys and girls of different ages eager to try on mitts, practice punches against pads and the heavy punching bag and work through different drills and footwork around the ring. —Shanzeh Ahmad, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025

Rabinovitch’s footwork and physicality were a problem for Birmingham, exposing a weakness in the Patriots’ defensive back line. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025

Houston’s offense is a West Coast system predicated on timing, sound footwork, and ball placement. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025

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)