The idiom ‘rub shoulders with' means ‘to meet and spend time with someone'. This video explains the meaning of the idiom 'rub shoulders with' in English. We explain how to use it with some easy examples for Social and Business English.
‘Rubbing shoulders’ with someone generally means mixing with them, especially when it comes to someone/a group you wouldn’t normally socialise with. Similar to ‘rubbing elbows’ with someone, it means to interact and mingle with someone, and it is usually directed towards people considered famous or more socially important in a given society. This expression is more common to hear in social situations rather than professional environments.
Further Examples:
I’d never rub shoulders with those people. I don’t like them.
At the awards last week, I was rubbing shoulders with some high-powered celebrities.