Meaning of sharp-elbowed | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Possessing narrow, bony, rather pointed elbows.
   not-comparable, usually
2. Pushy; having a boldly assertive manner intended to establish an advantage.
   figuratively, informal, not-comparable, usually

Examples

“[…] dire faces, figures dire, Sharp-knee'd, sharp-elbowed, and lean-ankled too”

“—Go to the Bible!—said a sharp voice from a sharp-faced, sharp-eyed, sharp-elbowed, strenuous-looking woman in a black dress.”

“sharp-elbowed parents”

“No sooner had President Washington been sworn in, wearing mousy, egalitarian brown broadcloth, than the sharp-elbowed jockeying for social status began.”

“With his stocky build, spread-collar shirts and locker-room charm, Walter Yetnikoff fit right in among the sharp-elbowed power brokers in the music business.”

“Fifteen documentaries are in sharp-elbowed competition to be among the five Oscar nominees.”

“In this imagined reality, sharp-elbowed parents are handed ‘golden tickets’ for endless support. Meanwhile, we battle for the bare minimum[.]”

CEFR level