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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

To listen to Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric, only months ago America was on the ropes in its darkest hour for generations. —

David Mastio, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025 In one case, a passenger accidentally cut the ropes on one side of the boat. —

Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025 Cavin McCall has been to the Torrey Pines Golf Course hundreds of times, but never like this — inside the ropes teeing it up alongside some of the best golfers in the world for the Farmers Insurance Open. —

Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025 During the 2015 Australian Open final, the Scot thought his current charge was on the ropes. —

Tim Ellis, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for the ropes