ringer

1 of 2

noun (1)

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər How to pronounce ringer (audio)
1
: one that sounds especially by ringing
2
a(1)
: one that enters a competition under false representations
(2)
b
: one that strongly resembles another
often used with dead
he's a dead ringer for the senator

ringer

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one that encircles or puts a ring around (such as a quoit or horseshoe that lodges so as to surround the peg)

Examples of ringer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This will mute or unmute your phone’s ringer and alert tones. Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2023 Twenty minutes after my aunt would phone in our order, the apartment ringer would buzz ‘Fur Elise’ in MIDI, and up would come a helmeted man, fresh off his motorcycle, with a giant steel box. Anna Luisa Rodriguez, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2023 Fiddler Vassar Clements was a ringer in the newgrass scene and played with Garcia in Old & in the Way, one of many side projects. Erin Osmon, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023 The Action Button is about the same size as the existing button, and users still hold it down to switch between muting and turning on the ringer. Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN, 19 Sep. 2023 The iPhone 15 Pro also comes with a new action button, replacing the ringer toggle on the side of iPhones with a button that can perform a range of customizable actions. Sara Ruberg, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2023 Starting pitcher Bobby Miller was put through the ringer first. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2023 The national police had a track and field club, and Ser-Od was a bit of a ringer. Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2023 About all the ways this show has been put through the ringer. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ringer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ringer was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near ringer

Cite this Entry

“Ringer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ringer. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

ringer

1 of 2 noun
ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər How to pronounce ringer (audio)
1
: one that sounds especially by ringing
2
a
: one that enters a competition with a false identity
b
: one that strongly resembles another
often used with dead
a dead ringer for the senator

ringer

2 of 2 noun
: a quoit or horseshoe that falls right over a peg

More from Merriam-Webster on ringer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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