Meanings
present singular third person rides the coattails · participle present riding the coattails · past rode the coattails · participle past ridden the coattails
- idiomaticTo succeed by virtue of association (with).
He had the reputation of a wannabe hardman, riding his cousin's coattails.
2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 2512 more examples
Further, some investors ride the coattails of investor giants, such as Warren Buffett, meaning they would frequently invest in the stocks Buffet invested in.
2010, Robin Speziale, Lessons from the Successful Investor, page 53Tazer’s plus-154 rating since wearing an Avs jersey is good for tops in the entire NHL during that span. Sure, he plays with future all-time great defensemen^([sic]) Cale Makar, but Toews doesn’t just ride his coattails.
2025 January 3, Sean McKenna, “Toews a key cog in Avalanche recent stellar run”, in Mile High Sticking, archived from the original on 18 Jan 2025
Translations
Russian выезжать за счет кого-то
- выезжать за счет кого-то (vyjezžatʹ za sčet kovo-to)Translations
Spanish sacar provecho del éxito de, beneficiarse del éxito de
- sacar provecho del éxito deTranslations
- beneficiarse del éxito deTranslations
Cite this entry
ride the coattails. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ride%20the%20coattails
“ride the coattails.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ride%20the%20coattails. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ride the coattails,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ride%20the%20coattails.
Source: ride the coattails on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.