ride

verb

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\ ˈrīd

rode\ ˈrōd

\ or chiefly dialectal rid\ ˈrid

\; ridden\ ˈri-dᵊn

\ or chiefly dialectal rid or rode; riding\ ˈrī-diŋ

Definition of ride

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to sit and travel on the back of an animal that one directs

b : to travel in or on a conveyance

2 : to travel as if on a conveyance : be borne rode on a wave of popularity

3a : to lie moored or anchored a ship rides at anchor

b : sail

c : to move like a floating object the moon rode in the sky

4 : to become supported on a point or surface

5a : to travel over a surface the car rides well

b : to move on the body shorts that ride up

6 : to continue without interference let it ride

7a : to be contingent : depend plans on which the future rides

b : to become bet a lot of money riding on the favorite

transitive verb

1a : to travel on ride a bike ride the bus

b : to move with like a rider ride the waves

2a : to traverse by conveyance rode 500 miles

b : to ride a horse in ride a race

3 : survive, outlast —usually used with out rode out the gale

4 : to traverse on horseback to inspect or maintain ride fence

5 : to mount in copulation —used of a male animal

6a : obsess, oppress ridden by anxiety

b : to harass persistently : nag

c : tease, rib

7 : carry, convey

8 : to project over : overlap

9 : to give with (a punch) to soften the impact

10 : to keep in partial engagement by resting a foot continuously on the pedal ride the brakes

ride circuit

: to hold court in the various towns of a judicial circuit

ride for a fall

: to court disaster

ride herd on

: to keep a check on : supervise

ride high

: to experience success

ride shotgun

: to ride in the front passenger seat of a vehicle

ride

noun

plural rides

Definition of ride (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act of riding especially : a trip on horseback or by vehicle

2 : a way (such as a road or path) suitable for riding

3 : any of various mechanical devices (as at an amusement park) for riding on

4 : a trip on which gangsters take a victim to murder him Symphony shivered. He had heard in Pentonville what "going for a little ride" meant in American crook circles.— Gwyn Evans — see also take for a ride

5 : a means of transportation especially, informal : one's personal vehicle … buying himself a 1964 Buick Riviera and then posing with his new ride on the studio's backlot. — Andrew Liszewski

6 : the qualities of travel comfort in a vehicle

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Other Words from ride Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing ride Learn More About ride

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Synonyms for ride

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Examples of ride in a Sentence

Verb She learned how to ride a horse when she was young. Most children learn to ride a bicycle at an early age. He rides his motorcycle to work every day. I never rode on a horse before. She got on her bicycle and rode away. He decided to walk to the movies instead of riding the bus. She rides the subway home from school. They rode the elevator to the second floor. We rode through the park in a horse-drawn carriage. The dog rode in the back of the truck. Noun We went for a ride in the country. I had my first ride in a limousine. I need a ride to work. She caught a ride with her coworker. We went on a horseback ride. The kids had a ride on a horse. They offered pony rides at the fair. The Ferris wheel is my favorite ride. We went for a ride on the roller coaster. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb With a zero-to-60 time of just over 4 seconds, the DBX is really a dream machine to drive, ride in and drool about. — Marc Grasso, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2022 Among the hall’s main attractions was its mechanical bull, a repurposed piece of rodeo-training equipment on which the club’s more intrepid patrons vied to see who could ride the longest before being thrown off. — New York Times, 7 May 2022 But that doesn’t mean the U.S. and other countries should ride roughshod over international law and the U.S. Constitution to do so. — Paul B. Stephan, The Conversation, 3 May 2022 India was hoping to ride the tide of the Russia-Ukraine war and help boost its wheat exports. — Manavi Kapur, Quartz, 28 Apr. 2022 That has added additional fuel to the explosion in trail usage as more cyclists ride more often and pedal farther. — Tim Warsinskey, cleveland, 12 Apr. 2022 Russian River guests get to snooze in a luxury tent, classic Airstream, or miniature Happier Camper, ride around on complimentary Linus bicycles, and suds it up with Ursa Major bath products (there are communal bathrooms in the clubhouse). — Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2022 The neighborhood kids—whose names, appearances, and personalities run together—play baseball in the street, ride aimlessly on bikes, and give presentations on outer space that their classmates drowsily half-listen to. — Peter Opaskar, Ars Technica, 10 Apr. 2022 Ortiz will have a busy day and will ride Mo Donegal later today in the Derby. — Evan Hilbert, USA TODAY, 7 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Matched with magnetic ride controls, adaptive suspension and rear wheel drive, this animal certainly brings everything to the table. — Marc Grasso, Hartford Courant, 21 May 2022 During the ride-along, troopers told Fox News the camps extended across the entire U.S. border, and the tents essentially have served as waiting rooms to cross into the United States. — Caroline Elliott, Fox News, 21 May 2022 The interactive ride will also equip riders with helmets sporting 4K cameras that will allow for posting their experience to social media. — Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2022 Unlike the Dodgers’ pregame bus ride, Julio Urías’ start Friday night was smooth, seamless and stress-free. — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2022 While things can even out a bit in the days ahead, according to some analysts, the ride could continue to be volatile in the summer, too. — Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 20 May 2022 Shaggy John Daly produced yet another wild ride around a PGA Championship. — USA TODAY, 20 May 2022 This ride was special because Rayzor rented out a streetcar filled with pictures of them hanging from the ceiling. — Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 19 May 2022 Bring a chair or blanket and soak up live tunes from local artists, jump on the carousel, hop the train ride. — Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, 19 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ride.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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