phrase[ plural ] thick rope which surrounds an area used for boxing (= sport in which two people hit each other) or wrestling: 栏索（围绕拳击或摔跤场所的粗绳） The middleweight boxing champion had his opponent up against the ropes.那个中量级拳击冠军将对手逼到了拳击台的护栏上。 Without even a knockout punch to take him down, he fell backwards into the ropes. He yelled at him repeatedly to get off the ropes. The wrestler climbed up onto the ropes and jumped onto her opponent's back. He was on the ropes and his opponent got in a few body blows before the bell rang. In the third round, he forced Walker into the ropes. See also
ropenoun
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the ropes | American Dictionary
the ropes
idiom the practices or rules you need to know in order to get something done: I spent a day in our warehouse showing the new guy the ropes.