rope-a-dope

British

noun

1. a method of tiring out a boxing opponent by pretending to be trapped on the ropes while the opponent expends energy on punches that are blocked
2. ( as modifier )
  
  rope-a-dope strategy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of rope-a-dope

C20: coined by _{Muhammad Ali}

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:

rope-a-dope

He chose to play rope-a-dope by only partially fulfilling the White House’s audit request for museum materials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Chelsea might have dominated the first half but Brentford’s rope-a-dope tactics ultimately worked beautifully.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 28, 2023

They have used rope-a-dope tactics, sitting back and hoping Stokes' side would make mistakes.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2023

Got no time for the rope-a-dope, Wallace is gonna ride like the Pope.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2022

“I was doing a little bit of a rope-a-dope with him,” Schmidt, a boxing fan, said.

From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2020

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