Synonyms

close ranks

Idioms

Unite, work together, as in The members decided to close ranks and confront the president. This expression, dating from the late 1700s, comes from the military, where it denotes bringing troops into close order so there are no gaps in the fighting line. (A slightly earlier form was close lines.) It has been used figuratively since the mid-1800s.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It’s always easier to close ranks against the external foe than to battle the enemy within.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

I expect, of course, for the president to quickly close ranks.

From Slate • Jul. 18, 2025

"Whenever there's a problem, they will close ranks and ignore. If that doesn't work, they would attack you with great ferocity," he told BBC Wales Investigates.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025

He thinks Latino politicians need to close ranks like he feels other ethnicities do.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2025

Others managed to close ranks and raise their shields.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023