Choose the option that best describes the meaning of the idiom underlined.
The lockdown due to Covid has financially put many multinational companies on the ropes.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Close to defeat or giving up
To be on the ropes means to be in serious trouble, close to defeat or failure. The idiom comes from boxing: a boxer pushed back against the ropes of the ring is near defeat. The lockdown put many companies in such a weak financial state.
Example: After three heavy losses, the small shop was on the ropes.