on the ropes

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

In 2022, with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Sean Patrick Maloney somehow on the ropes in a district that had gone for Biden two years prior by roughly 10 points, Clinton got back on the mic with his signature campaign croak for an event in the not-at-all-working-class New York City suburbs where he lives, on Maloney’s behalf.

From Slate

Fast-forward to 2024, and his career is on the ropes.

From BBC

On the other hand, the bully is always most dangerous when he is on the ropes.

From Salon

But for now at least, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are “happy warriors” who have Trump and Vance on the ropes.

From Salon

Sweden piled on the pressure late on, forcing errors from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton as England were on the ropes.

From BBC