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kiss the ring

American  

idiom

  1. to show reverence or submission to someone.


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.

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Bemoaning the races' vitriol at the time, one prominent conservative commentator compared the West Texas billionaires to an "oligarchy," hellbent on destroying anyone who "didn't get on their knees and kiss the ring."

From Salon Jul. 25, 2023

Universal, Paramount and Sony — along with smaller distributors have gathered in Las Vegas to kiss the ring of the world’s movie theater operators, from the biggest multinational chains to the smallest mom-and-pops.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 25, 2022

A 30-second clip captured the pope cheerfully flicking his right hand away as some supplicants attempted to kneel and kiss the ring there.

From Slate Mar. 28, 2019

On Monday, when Pope Francis visited a Catholic shrine in Loreto, he repeatedly withdrew his right hand as a long line of people bowed and tried to kiss the ring on it.

From Reuters Mar. 26, 2019

Even the most downhearted would kiss the ring.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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