1
laying the groundwork;behind-the-scenes maneuvering;consensus-building process
大統領は辞任する前にお金に困らないように根回しした。
The president made certain that he lined his pockets before he resigned.
2
digging around the roots of a tree (before transplanting)
Other forms
根まわし 【ねまわし】 (search-only kanji form)