the ropes

plural noun

1
: the special way things are done at a particular place or in a particular activity
The veteran cop showed the rookie the ropes.
It will take a few weeks for new employees to learn the ropes.
someone who knows the ropes
2
: a fence made of rope that encloses a boxing or wrestling ring
The boxer was pushed back against the ropes.

Examples of the ropes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Timberwolves shot just 39 percent from the field over the final two frames Friday — a near replica of their second half offensive ineptitude in Game 1 two days earlier — and now Minnesota heads to Dallas firmly on the ropes. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 May 2024 The streak had its arms draped over the ropes, its head dipped back. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2024 Watching Santosh learn the ropes of her local police station is amusing at first, but Goswami sells its increasing complications through silent reaction shots as her character becomes slowly absorbed by this power structure, its in-group language, its secrets and its casual corruption. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2024 Santillan was the more aggressive fighter from the opening bell, consistently getting in close to take the smaller Norman’s left jab away and using shoulders, head and elbows to back Norman into the corners and onto the ropes. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2024 Fisker was already on the ropes, but this could be the kill shot. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 9 May 2024 Related Stories In other words, linear TV is on the ropes at a time when legacy media needs it most to get over that streaming chasm. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 May 2024 Learning the ropes During a break from an intersquad scrimmage last week at Settlers Park, Team Scheels formed a circle along with their coaches and played Hot Potato with a football for a few minutes. Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 26 Apr. 2024 After outrageous court outbursts from Auntie Rae and Susie put Larry on the ropes, Jerry Seinfeld (playing himself) shows up in Atlanta for support and a less-than-urgent chat about bearded ladies. William Earl, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the ropes.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near the ropes

Cite this Entry

“The ropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20ropes. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.

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