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
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
The rescuers had managed to cut away the ropes and free the humpback whale.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
That has left hundreds of writers out of work, as The CW previously served as a way for new scribes to learn the ropes.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
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
The rescuers had managed to cut away the ropes and free the humpback whale.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
That has left hundreds of writers out of work, as The CW previously served as a way for new scribes to learn the ropes.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 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 29 May. 2024.
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