on the ropes

Idioms  

1. On the verge of defeat or collapse, helpless, as in They acknowledged that their campaign was on the ropes, and they could not possibly win the election. This expression, alluding to a boxer forced back to the ropes of the ring and leaning against them for support, has been used figuratively since the mid-1900s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on the ropes

Analysts credit the 2011 purchase of NBCUniversal as a huge success; Comcast rescued a company that was on the ropes due to General Electric’s under-investment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

But it might be debt, not equity, that has SpaceX on the ropes on Monday.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

The South American heavyweights found themselves on the ropes in the face of Cape Verde's verve.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

But it is also the story of two men in a sport that has been on the ropes for decades, but which once occupied the public imagination as much as any other.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

She had me on the ropes; I felt punch drunk, I couldn't deliver and I couldn't be angry either.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison