Illustration of ratline
: any of the small transverse ropes attached to the shrouds of a ship so as to form the steps of a rope ladder
—usually used in plural
Examples of ratline in a Sentence
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Barofsky claims that the bank did not fully investigate links to Nazi supporters or the possibility that the bank may have financed escape routes used by Nazis, known as ratlines, to flee to other countries after the war.
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Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 18 Apr. 2023
For women artists, substance use is generally grouped under the larger umbrella of madness, historically a kind of ratline to institutionalization, often against their will, for women ranging from Zelda Fitzgerald to Britney Spears.
—New York Times, 24 Mar. 2022
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Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 18 Apr. 2023
For women artists, substance use is generally grouped under the larger umbrella of madness, historically a kind of ratline to institutionalization, often against their will, for women ranging from Zelda Fitzgerald to Britney Spears.
—New York Times, 24 Mar. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Ratline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ratline. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ratline
noun
rat·line
ˈrat-lən 
: any of the small cross ropes attached to the shrouds of a ship so as to form the steps of a rope ladder
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