footwork

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The skillful movement and placement of the feet, especially in sports, dance, or fighting.

   Grammar: Uncountable; used with singular verbs: good footwork is essential.

   Patterns

   • good/excellent/quick footwork
   • footwork on the field/court
   • footwork in dance/boxing

   Her quick footwork on the tennis court helped her reach every shot.

   The boxer's footwork kept him out of range of his opponent's punches.

   The dance requires precise footwork and a strong sense of rhythm.

2. 2noununcountablefigurative

   The groundwork or preparation needed to accomplish a task, often involving careful maneuvering.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used with 'do' or 'need': do the footwork, need footwork.

   Patterns

   • do the footwork
   • legal/political footwork
   • footwork behind something

   The lawyer did all the footwork before the trial began.

   Successful fundraising requires a lot of behind-the-scenes footwork.

   The negotiations involved months of diplomatic footwork.

Common combinations

good footwork

The coach praised his good footwork during the match.

quick footwork

Her quick footwork allowed her to dodge the defender.

fancy footwork

The dancer showed off some fancy footwork.

do the footwork

You'll have to do the footwork if you want to find a good deal.

footwork on the court

His footwork on the court is impressive for a beginner.

Synonyms and how they differ

agility

Agility refers to general physical nimbleness, while footwork specifically focuses on the feet and their placement.

dexterity

Dexterity often implies skillful use of the hands, whereas footwork is about the feet.

Word family

foot noun

The body part at the end of the leg, used for standing and walking.

footwear noun

Shoes, boots, and other items worn on the feet.

Commonly confused: footwork or legwork?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “footwork”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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