the ropes

plural noun

: 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

: 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

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First-timers will benefit from the Start Met Up Package, where beginners experience a 3:1 guest-to-instructor ratio while learning the ropes. —

Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2024 Videos shared on social media by bystanders and skiers stuck inside the cabins show the lift at a standstill as the local ski patrol entered each cabin and used the ropes to lower passengers dozens of feet to the ground. —

Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024 Resort staff then climbed up lift towers and shimmied along the ropes to reach each gondola car, KUSA reported. —

Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 23 Dec. 2024 Thankfully, his three-month-old puppy sibling stepped in and showed him the ropes. —

Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the ropes