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to ring

to ring

11 2.5
To form a circle around something to surround it
  • verb
  • /rɪŋ/
: rodear
  • Ring the area with your men.

Having that money in a cash ISA still ring fences it in an ISA.

Examples

  • Don, you can tell me confidentially are these rumors true that wedding bells are soon to ring for you and Lina?

  • "The phone started to ring as Elyria walked Ortega to the door."

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Do you want us to ring in or write it down?

  • Nobody said do not go ring their doorbell.

  • Many of those newcomers flock to the barrier islands that ring Florida and other coastal states.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Substitute "missions" for "residential schools," and that passage rings true for California missionized survivors with a clarity I cannot ignore.

    Academic text (2016)
  • The firefighters decided to ring the entire area to ensure no one was left inside the building.

  • As the parade went by, the children formed a line to ring the float with colorful decorations.

  • To protect the crops from animals, the farmers chose to ring the field with a fence.

Synonyms

to surround
vsto ring
637 1.7

To be all around a person or thing on every side

is about forming an enclosing circle rather than action or intent
to circle around
vsto ring
66 2.3

Move in a round path around someone or something

describes forming a static enclosing circle rather than moving around
to circle
vsto ring
55 2.0

To draw a line around something to show it

surrounds or encloses on all sides rather than just drawing shape
to encircle
vsto ring
27 3.4

To form a circle around a person or thing

surrounds on all sides but is not limited to perfect circular form
to circle round
vsto ring
1 3.5

Move around something or someone in a circle

focuses on making an enclosing circle rather than continuous motion
to environ
vsto ring
1 8.8

To surround something on all sides

is specifically about forming an enclosing circle rather than vague surround
to englobe
vsto ring
1 8.4

Completely surround something, often in a round shape like a ball

covers surrounding in a circular way but not necessarily rounded or spherical

Antonyms

81 4.4

To cause people and things, like a crowd or fog, to spread over a wide area

Idioms

to ring a bell
  • Informal
63 3.5

To seem familiar and make you remember something

7 8.9

To show too much respect and do what a person in power wants

Keep a wedding ring safely until it is needed in the ceremony

1 5.4

Make someone think there may be a problem

1 9.9

To fill the air with loud happy sounds like singing or laughter

To start a show by lifting the curtain

To say you will run for a position, for example in an election

Phrasal Verbs

36 3.6

To make a loud clear sound that people can hear far away

to ring true
  • Informal
32 4.2

To seem real and believable

27 2.8

To enter items and prices into a cash register when someone buys them

12 8.2

To strongly attract or excite someone

To sound not sincere or true to people

To phone someone

To seem untrue or not honest

Hit a gong to show the start or end of an event

To break up an illegal group that sells drugs, usually by police

Compounds

105 1.0

A metal band worn to show two people are married

A ring with a stone like a diamond given to someone to show they will marry

12 3.8

A small metal piece worn through the nose for decoration or to control an animal

10 1.0

A small metal ring that holds keys together

brass ring
  • Informal
8 7.4

A chance to get great success or a big reward

7 1.9

A square area with ropes where boxers fight

O-ring
  • Specialized
6 6.1

A round rubber or plastic ring that seals a joint to stop leaks

4 5.4

A situation with confusion and many things happening at once

cock ring
  • Offensive
4 9.8

A ring worn around the penis base to help keep an erection by reducing blood flow

4 3.6

A small ring that holds a person's napkin at the table

A live show with three rings where many acts happen at once

2 6.5

A ring with a carved seal used to stamp wax to show who owned or approved a document

2 6.0

A children's game where players hold hands, walk in a circle, and fall down while singing

2 2.4

A folder with rings that open to hold loose sheets of paper

2 3.2

A main road that goes around a city to avoid the center

2 2.7

A round object you throw to someone in water to help them float

2 5.3

With a tail that has clear dark and light bands

2 7.7

A ring of mushrooms that grows on grass from fungus under the ground

2 1.4

A small metal or plastic loop that hangs a curtain on a rod

growth ring
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A layer of wood made in one year that appears as a ring in a tree trunk

1 7.6

A young woman who walks into the boxing ring between rounds holding a sign with the next round number

A small ring that babies chew to soothe sore gums

A square platform with ropes where two people try to make each other fall

A small animal from Madagascar with a long tail that has black and white rings

1 5.3

A group of people who secretly run illegal betting, like on sports or card games

1 1.0

The finger between the middle finger and little finger where people often wear wedding rings

1 3.2

A metal ring on a gas stove that makes a flame for cooking

piston ring
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A thin metal band that fits around a piston to stop gas and oil leaking past it

Kayser-Fleischer ring
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A golden-brown or green ring at the edge of the clear front of the eye seen in Wilson's disease

coffee ring
  • Specialized
1 6.4

A ring-shaped mark that appears at the edge of a liquid drop as it dries

lock ring
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A small round ring that keeps a nut from coming loose

benzene ring
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A ring of six carbon atoms, each joined to a hydrogen, found in many organic molecules

prize ring
  • Archaic
1 4.9

A square area with ropes where boxers fight

ring ceremony
  • Formal
1 4.6

A formal event where students receive a class ring to mark graduation

ring vaccination
  • Specialized
1 3.7

Vaccinating people who were close to someone who had the disease to stop it spreading

1 3.6

A ring of wood in a tree trunk that shows one year's growth

ring-a-rosy
  • Baby Talk
1 9.9

A children's game where players hold hands, move in a circle and fall down together

A common bird with bright feathers and a white ring on its neck

1 1.9

A round hoop on a wall for hanging a towel

ring rot
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A disease caused by bacteria that makes potato and tomato stems or tubers rot in a ring

1 9.9

A type of flexible armor made of small metal rings linked together

ring-around-a-rosy
  • Baby Talk
1 8.0

A children's game where players hold hands in a circle, sing, and fall down

1 5.8

A raised circle where sumo wrestlers fight

1 9.9

A European bird often found on rocky hills with dark feathers and a white band on the male's neck

storage ring
  • Specialized
1 7.3

A ring of magnets that keeps charged particles like electrons moving fast in a particle accelerator

mourning ring
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A ring people wear to remember a dead person, often with writing or hair

1 7.0

A ring with a carved top you press into wax to make a mark

ring disease
  • Specialized
1 7.7

An illness of plants like tomatoes and potatoes caused by bacteria that makes dark rings in the stem

tension ring
  • Offensive
1 7.5

A ring that you put at the base of the penis to help it stay hard by reducing blood flow

snap ring
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A metal loop with a spring clip for quickly attaching rope or gear

ring wall
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A circular strong wall built under a heavy structure to support its weight

anchor ring
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A doughnut-shaped solid with a hole in the middle

A ring with a picture of the cartoon mouse Mickey Mouse

1 4.5

A group of people who form a circle and dance together, often holding hands

A mushroom that grows in a circle on grass

ring wall
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A circular wall around a village or town that protects people from attack

heterocyclic ring
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A ring of atoms in a molecule with at least one non-carbon atom

A small circular area of color on the skin around a bite or wound

1 3.6

A ring-shaped cake often made with fruit or nuts and topped with icing

key ring
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A secure place on a computer that stores passwords and secret codes for apps and the system

1 8.5

An animal like a raccoon that has a long bushy tail with black and white rings

slip ring
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A metal ring on a rotating part that keeps an electric connection to a fixed part

1 7.0

A ring that you put at the base of the penis to slow blood flow and help keep it hard

1 9.9

A European bird whose male has dark feathers and a white band around the neck

pinion and ring gear
  • Specialized
1 8.0

Gears that fit together at a right angle to send power between car axles

closed-ring
  • Specialized
7.7

Having atoms joined together to form a ring

ring containment
  • Specialized
7.4

A way to stop disease by giving vaccines to people exposed and their close contacts

ring armor
  • Archaic
9.9

Flexible protective clothing made from small metal rings linked together

A black thrush with a white band around its neck that lives on rocky hills

ring rot bacteria
  • Specialized
6.5

Bacteria that cause a disease making crops like potatoes and tomatoes go soft and brown

ring rot fungus
  • Specialized
8.0

A small living thing that makes fruits and vegetables rot, often making dry rings near sweet potato roots

6.9

A harmless snake with a bright ring around its neck found in North America or Europe

4.6

A low circular wall that keeps soil in place around plants

How Complete

to envelop
34 4.5
to enclose
31 3.7
to ring
11 2.5
to surround
637 1.7
to border
78 2.3

Surface Forms

ring infinitive
ringing present participle
rings third person singular
rang past
rung past participle

Etymology

To ring something, meaning to go all around it, comes from making a 'ring' or circle, so police 'ring' a building when they surround it on all sides.