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Glite Dictionary
to rope off

to rope off

3 4.8
To keep people out of an area by putting ropes around it
  • phrasal verb
  • /roʊp ɔf/
translation icon : acordonar
  • The area around it was roped off.
  • roped off area
  • roped off section
  • roped off the crime scene

And then like the strip clubs, I had these like roped off sections.

Examples

  • A crime scene area near the garbage cans is roped off.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Beyond that was a larger roped-off area with a green carpet on the floor and over three dozen folding chairs.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Police are roping off the area with "CRIME SCENE" tape.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • An area close to the mound is roped off for news reporters and cameras.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Jeffrey is out with Detective Williams and a crew of officers who have roped off the area and are doing a grid search.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • There are three tables in a roped-off section of the restaurant with large floral centerpieces and a small bar in the corner.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • A large area was roped off, dedicated to Harrison Fielding III, his parents, grandparents, and all their various offspring.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The beachhead was already roped off in several places atop the bluff, mostly to the north, toward the motel.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Waiters in white aprons attend to a cluster of little white tables roped off from the relentless crush of Sunday morning pedestrians.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The lawn in front of the school was roped off to protect the grass from foot traffic.

Synonyms

to seal off
vsto rope off
47 3.9

Stop people from entering or leaving an area by blocking it

is a lighter, temporary separation using simple lines or cords
to close off
vsto rope off
24 3.9

Stop people or vehicles from entering a place

uses nonpermanent lines rather than fully stopping movement or access
to cordon
vsto rope off
24 5.8

To block off an area with people or barriers to keep people away

uses thin cords or lines rather than people or heavy barriers
to block off
vsto rope off
23 3.8

Close a road, path or entrance so people cannot go through

makes a softer boundary with ropes instead of fully closing passage
to cordon off
vsto rope off
20 6.3

Stop people entering or leaving an area by using police and barriers

uses thin cords or lines rather than official personnel or tape
to fence off
vsto rope off
4 3.7

Surround an area with a fence to stop people from entering

uses lighter, removable lines instead of solid, permanent barriers
to rope in
vsto rope off
4.3

Mark an area with a rope to keep people out

uses thin cords or lines specifically rather than other barrier types
to rail off
vsto rope off
7.0

To separate people or part of a place by putting up a barrier

uses simple removable lines rather than fixed rails or boards
to bar off
vsto rope off
  • Informal
5.6

To block a place so people cannot enter, often by putting up a fence

creates a looser boundary using thin lines rather than solid obstacles
to curtain off
vsto rope off
4.3

To make part of a room private by closing a curtain

creates a physical barrier to prevent access rather than just dividing visually

Antonyms

to allow in
172 1.3

Let someone or something enter a place

How Restricted

to seal off
47 3.9
to cordon off
20 6.3
to fence off
4 3.7
to rope off
3 4.8
to mark off
1 3.4

Surface Forms

rope off infinitive
roped off past
roped off past participle
roping off present participle
ropes off third person singular

Morphology

rope + off

The meaning 'to separate or restrict access by putting ropes around an area' is directly derived from combining 'rope' (to bind or tie with rope) with the particle 'off' indicating separation or removal. This is a concrete, compositional action following common English verb+particle patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb rope off comes from literally using a rope to keep people off an area. Imagine workers stretching a rope around a dangerous spot to stop people from entering, so the phrase means 'to keep people away from a place'.