rope-a-dope

plural rope-a-dopes

1. boxingA 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.

   He sounded like a retired boxer who'd specialized in the rope-a-dope.

   1999, James W Hall, Tropical Freeze

   1 more example

   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.

   2003, Steve Hamilton, North of Nowhere

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

   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.

   2007, Robert Shrum, No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner

   1 more example

   […] process that in recent years has degenerated, sadly, into one long scorched-earth campaign filled with partisan rancor and legislative rope-a-dope.

   2002, Steven Hill, Fixing Elections

present singular third person rope-a-dopes · participle present rope-a-doping · participle past rope-a-doped · past rope-a-doped

1. figurativelyTo exhaust someone by stringing them along.

   Willis rope-a-doped us all night.