Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rope-a-dope

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.67 in modern English

Syllables: rope-a--dope
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A technique in which the boxer assumes a defensive stance against the ropes and absorbs an opponent's blows, hoping to exploit eventual tiredness or a mistake.

noun

Any strategy where an apparently losing position is assumed in the hope of eventual victory.

verb

To exhaust someone by stringing them along.

Example Sentences

"He sounded like a retired boxer who'd specialized in the rope-a-dope."
"I went into my own version of Ali's rope-a-dope, ducking as many of the heavy blows as I could, and waiting for some kind of idea to come to me."
"[…] process that in recent years has degenerated, sadly, into one long scorched-earth campaign filled with partisan rancor and legislative rope-a-dope."
"Maybe, I suggested, it was the old rope-a-dope to lower expectations, but that was tougher for him than it had been in 2000: He was now the president."
"Willis rope-a-doped us all night."

Etymology

See Rope-a-dope.

Inflected Forms

rope-a-dopes (plural) rope-a-dopes (present, singular) rope-a-doping (participle, present) rope-a-doped (participle, past) rope-a-doped (past)

Questions

What does rope-a-dope mean?: A technique in which the boxer assumes a defensive stance against the ropes and absorbs an opponent's blows, hoping to exploit eventual tiredness or a mistake.
Where does rope-a-dope come from?: See Rope-a-dope.

How to pronounce rope-a-dope

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