close ranks

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

close ranks

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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2025

The opposition, which has historically been deeply divided, called the primary - in which ordinary people were allowed to vote - to close ranks behind a single contender for the presidency.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2023

“All I see about me is strife. You must close ranks and present a unified front.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole