rope
Americannoun
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ropes
plural
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a strong, thick line or cord, commonly one composed of twisted or braided strands of hemp, flax, or the like, or of wire or other material.
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a lasso.
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ropes,
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the cords used to enclose a prize ring or other space.
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Informal. the operations of a business or the details of any undertaking.
The new employee didn't take long to learn the ropes.
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a hangman's noose, halter, or cord.
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the sentence or punishment of death by hanging.
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a quantity of material or a number of things twisted or strung together in the form of a cord.
a rope of tobacco.
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a stringy, viscid, or glutinous formation in a liquid.
ropes of slime.
verb (used with object)
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ropes,
present (3rd person singular)
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roped,
past participle, past
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roping
present participle
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to tie, bind, or fasten with a rope.
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to enclose, partition, or mark off with a rope or ropes (often followed byoff ).
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to catch with a lasso; lasso.
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Nautical. to reinforce (a sail or awning) with a boltrope.
verb (used without object)
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ropes,
present (3rd person singular)
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roped,
past participle, past
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roping
present participle
verb phrase
idioms
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give someone enough rope, to allow a person complete freedom to continue their misdeeds in hope that retribution will follow.
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at the end of one's rope, at the end of one's endurance or means; at the limit.
With all her savings gone and bills piling up, she was at the end of her rope.
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on the ropes,
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Boxing. in a defenseless position, as leaning against the ropes to keep from falling.
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Informal. in a desperate or hopeless position; close to defeat or failure.
By repeatedly undercutting his prices, his competitors soon had him on the ropes.
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noun
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a fairly thick cord made of twisted and intertwined hemp or other fibres or of wire or other strong material
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( as modifier )
a rope bridge
a rope ladder
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a row of objects fastened or united to form a line
a rope of pearls
a rope of onions
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a quantity of material twisted or wound in the form of a cord
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anything in the form of a filament or strand, esp something viscous or glutinous
a rope of slime
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a rope, noose, or halter used for hanging
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death by hanging, strangling, etc
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to allow someone to accomplish his own downfall by his own foolish acts
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to have a thorough understanding of a particular sphere of activity
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to be experienced in the ways of the world
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boxing driven against the ropes enclosing the ring by an opponent's attack
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in a defenceless or hopeless position
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verb
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(tr) to bind or fasten with or as if with a rope
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to enclose or divide by means of a rope
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(intr) to become extended in a long filament or thread
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mountaineering to tie (climbers) together with a rope
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ropesimple
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ropessimple
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have ropedperfect
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has ropedperfect
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am ropingprogressive
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are ropingprogressive
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is ropingprogressive
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have been ropingperfect progressive
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has been ropingperfect progressive
Past
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ropedsimple
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had ropedperfect
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was ropingprogressive
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were ropingprogressive
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had been ropingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rope
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun rop(e), rap(e), Old English rāp; cognate with Dutch reep, German Reif; verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
A rope is made by twisting strands of fiber together into a single, sturdy length. Use a rope to make a swing, tie a hog, or keep people out of your tree house. Ropes are handy on sailboats for tying up sails; you also use ropes for mountain climbing, lassoing a steer, raising a curtain on a theater stage, and doing aerial tricks in the circus. As a verb, rope means "catch with a rope," or colloquially, to convince someone to do something: "She'll try to rope me into helping with the bake sale." When you show someone "the ropes," you explain the way things are done.
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.
See Examples For:
One protein in the E-cadherin complex acted much like a rope.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026
By his early 20s, he had mastered the rope trick that would later make him famous.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
According to Jake, the producers and the studio heads were at the end of their rope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Sheriff’s deputies later recovered a long rope and a black chain in the apartment, authorities have said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Then he caught sight of me, and was shouting for me to go and fetch a rope.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Rooms start at around $1,065 a night, and it has a kids’ club packed with amenities, including a ropes course.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Dresses made of silver gift ribbon and plastic jump ropes had the effect of an espresso shot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Inside the ropes, the jury remains stubbornly out on his talent.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
"When members of the team descended using ropes and called out to those inside, there was no response," Prime Minister Balendra Shah said in an update on Sunday night.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Jack quickly pulled the rest of the strangely sticky ropes off himself, then threw his legs over the side of the table, noticing for the first time why his feet had been so warm.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
They have also roped in an environmental activist group, which has launched a petition calling for citizens to be authorised as guardians of urban trees.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
On the second pitch of the at-bat, Hernández recognized a hung slider, and he roped it over the left-field fence at 109.3 mph, according to Statcast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
That investigation spanned seven years and roped in more than a dozen other automakers, identifying over 4,000 reports of sunroof fractures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
He was roped into providing the group tele-healthcare years ago, but - moved by their plight - more recently became a broker and "delivery boy" for their temporary passports.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
“Do not get roped into this,” Mom cautioned me as we scrolled through story after story about what Carlotta had said.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
At the same time, the truck’s design is aimed at roping in buyers currently driving EVs as well as gas-powered vehicles, executives say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The team was assembled from across the company, roping in workers who specialized in materials, process and assembly, among others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
But she will not be roping in her mum, Liz, to help out despite the former world 10,000m champion being desperate to step in and lend a hand.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
Beyond roping off a large section of the store for e-commerce fulfillment, the company plans separate access sites for in-store shoppers, delivery drivers, and trucks, according to the proposal.
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
Nevertheless, at dawn he roused the companions and with much effort they began roping the Crochan to Lluagor and Melynlas.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
