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 gallows were there; so were the ropes and, most chilling, the screaming faces of white men and women yelling for the blood of Mike Pence.
—
Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024
And Agnes is trying and failing to the learn the ropes of her new lifestyle of fishing and homemaking, and isn’t helped by the constant interfering supervision of her mother-in-law (Maria Hofstätter).
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
Since learning the ropes from Abraham, Suzette has kept helping her parents run the company in Corpus Christie, which also works on tribute projects for Selena.
—Selena Barrientos, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024
Exploring Your Options Over the past few years, some colleges have intensified their efforts to offer resources for anyone keen to learn the ropes of leadership, with or without a full-fledged degree.
—Arush Chandna, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
John Madden showed him the ropes:This Arizona man makes the Super Bowl more than a 'show'
Where to watch Super Bowl 2024
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers face off at 4:30 p.m. Arizona time on CBS and Nickelodeon.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 9 Feb. 2024
With the game tight and sensing the defending county champions on the ropes once again, the Owls stepped up and did their jobs throughout the second half.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2024
Prospect was on the ropes when Panther junior Ehtan Roth drove in one of his team-high three RBIs on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 6-6.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
As his mother watched on from behind the ropes, the surrounding crowd watched in horror as Mattiace plopped one, then two, shots into the water.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024
And Agnes is trying and failing to the learn the ropes of her new lifestyle of fishing and homemaking, and isn’t helped by the constant interfering supervision of her mother-in-law (Maria Hofstätter).
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
Since learning the ropes from Abraham, Suzette has kept helping her parents run the company in Corpus Christie, which also works on tribute projects for Selena.
—Selena Barrientos, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024
Exploring Your Options Over the past few years, some colleges have intensified their efforts to offer resources for anyone keen to learn the ropes of leadership, with or without a full-fledged degree.
—Arush Chandna, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
John Madden showed him the ropes:This Arizona man makes the Super Bowl more than a 'show'
Where to watch Super Bowl 2024
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers face off at 4:30 p.m. Arizona time on CBS and Nickelodeon.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 9 Feb. 2024
With the game tight and sensing the defending county champions on the ropes once again, the Owls stepped up and did their jobs throughout the second half.
—Timothy Dashiell, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2024
Prospect was on the ropes when Panther junior Ehtan Roth drove in one of his team-high three RBIs on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 6-6.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
As his mother watched on from behind the ropes, the surrounding crowd watched in horror as Mattiace plopped one, then two, shots into the water.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 13 Mar. 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 28 Apr. 2024.
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