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Phrase(s): jockey for position
1. Lit. to work one’s horse into a desired position in a horse race. • Three riders were jockeying for position in the race. • Ken was behind, but jockeying for position. 2. Fig. to work oneself into a desired position. • The candidates were jockeying for position, trying to get the best television exposure. • I was jockeying for position but running out of campaign money.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
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Maneuver or manipulate for one's own benefit, as in The singers are always jockeying for position on stage. This expression, dating from about 1900, originally meant maneuvering a race horse into a better position for winning. It was transferred to other kinds of manipulation in the mid-1900s.
American Heritage Idioms