1EFFECT/INFLUENCEif you achieve something on someone’s coattails, you achieve it because of the other person’s power or success 〔帮助别人做成某事的〕影响力,声望
on somebody’s coattails
A number of Republican congressmen were elected on Bush’s coattails.
一些共和党国会议员是沾了布什的光而当选的。
2.DCCthe cloth at the back of a tailcoat that is divided into two pieces 〔燕尾服的〕燕尾
Examples from the Corpus
coattails• There will not be any Clinton coattails for Mark Warner.• The ideal of caring for agingparents is sufficiently strong that even the most undeserving aging parents can ride its coattails.• Jeffries was trying to cut him to ribbons; and here was Gordon trying to hold fast to Jeffries' coattails.• In Alderman McDonough, the wardleader, Daley had a politicalgodfather with upwardmobility and long coattails.• Alarcon rose to power on Bucaram's coattails.