the ropes
plural noun
1
: 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
2
: 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
The event marked Bublé’s Opry debut, and as Pearce is something of a Nashville veteran, was sure to show him the ropes.
—
Rachel Desantis, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024
The iconic Chicago drugstore Walgreens is on the ropes despite its massive size.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
In their public posture and rhetoric, both governments seek to portray the other as being on the ropes.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Steamboat’s ski patrol urged visitors to respect trail closures—had skiers ducked the ropes to descend or climb the terrain during the storm, they could have been injured or killed.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the ropes 
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Rachel Desantis, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024
The iconic Chicago drugstore Walgreens is on the ropes despite its massive size.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
In their public posture and rhetoric, both governments seek to portray the other as being on the ropes.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Steamboat’s ski patrol urged visitors to respect trail closures—had skiers ducked the ropes to descend or climb the terrain during the storm, they could have been injured or killed.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the ropes
Dictionary Entries Near the ropes
Cite this Entry
“The ropes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20ropes. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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