on the ropes

phrase

: in a defensive and often helpless position

Examples of on the ropes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Mariners are on the ropes here (seven games back) and can be safely ignored for now. — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Any impact — no matter how small — to Meta's core ad business just introduces another level of uncertainty in a stock already on the ropes. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Grey had Jordan on the ropes again, picked her up and nailed her with her knee. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026

The deal comes one year after the Ellison family bought Paramount, which had been on the ropes because of significant under-investment over the years. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for on the ropes

• oscilloscopes
• antelopes
• biotopes
• cantaloupes
• envelopes
• epitopes
• gyroscopes
• horoscopes
• isotopes
• microscopes
• telescopes
• copes