ride the coattails

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ride the coattails (third-person singular simple present rides the coattails, present participle riding the coattails, simple past rode the coattails, past participle ridden the coattails) [with of]

1. (idiomatic) To succeed by virtue of association (with).
   • 2010, Robin Speziale, Lessons from the Successful Investor‎^[1], page 53:

     Further, some investors ride the coattails of investor giants, such as Warren Buffett, meaning they would frequently invest in the stocks Buffet invested in.

   • 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 251:

     He had the reputation of a wannabe hardman, riding his cousin's coattails.

   • 2025 January 3, Sean McKenna, “Toews a key cog in Avalanche recent stellar run”, in Mile High Sticking‎^[2], archived from the original on 18 January 2025:

     Tazer’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.

• friends in high places