From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrub shoulders with somebodyrub shoulders with somebodyinformal (also rub elbows with somebody American English)SOCIALIZE to meet and spend time with people, especially rich and famous people As a reporter he gets to rub shoulders with all the big names in politics. → rub
Examples from the Corpus
rub shoulders with somebody• As a reporter he gets to rub shoulders with all the big names in politics and the media.• Samurai warriors of the Shoguns rubbed shoulders with Eskimos and headhunters.• The great Council House of 1879 and the neo-Classical Town Hall rub shoulders with the bold and modern.• The think-tank will have florists rubbing shoulders with the chief of Apple Computers.• He shows no urge to rub shoulders with the lower orders but, if anything, a tendency to keep his distance.• But yesterday, possums, Dame Edna Everage revealed that she was fed up with rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous.• The daughter of an itinerant farm worker, Ward now rubs shoulders with the rich, famous and glamorous.• Voice over Here the stars for the day rub shoulders with the stars of the show. 