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
Visualizing the ropes of the nets twisting around the necks of these animals, slowly strangling, choking, running out of oxygen.
—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
When Sanchez Vicario, ever the wily veteran, takes an extended bathroom break just as Venus has her on the ropes, the audience is up in arms.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Finkelman had taken up the mantle of the Southern Command three months earlier and was still learning the ropes.
—Yaakov Katz, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
The Californian took the first set against Ekaterina Alexandrova at last year’s tournament and had her vastly more experienced Russian opponent on the ropes on several occasions before eventually succumbing.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the ropes
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Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
When Sanchez Vicario, ever the wily veteran, takes an extended bathroom break just as Venus has her on the ropes, the audience is up in arms.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Finkelman had taken up the mantle of the Southern Command three months earlier and was still learning the ropes.
—Yaakov Katz, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
The Californian took the first set against Ekaterina Alexandrova at last year’s tournament and had her vastly more experienced Russian opponent on the ropes on several occasions before eventually succumbing.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the ropes
Cite this Entry
“The ropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20ropes. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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