ringer

1 of 2

noun (1)

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər How to pronounce ringer (audio)
1
: one that sounds especially by ringing
2
a(1)
: one that enters a competition under false representations
(2)
b
: one that strongly resembles another
often used with dead
he's a dead ringer for the senator

ringer

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one that encircles or puts a ring around (such as a quoit or horseshoe that lodges so as to surround the peg)

Examples of ringer in a Sentence

Noun (1) no one was more surprised than the defendant when his lawyer turned out to be a ringer he's a dead ringer for his grandfather
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Her kindhearted and empathetic photographer Jo Reynolds was continually put through the ringer across her four seasons on the show, from 1992 to 1996. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Man City has been through the ringer recently and is down their star player, Khadija Shaw. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025 But lookout for this ringer: East Bay resident Amy Schneider, whose 40-game win streak on Jeopardy is second all-time to Ken Jennings (74 wins) helped net her $1.6 million in prizes, is on the guest list. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025 Retail traders snapped up Tesla shares in recent days as the stock went through the ringer, according to JPMorgan. Alex Harring, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ringer

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ringer was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ringer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ringer. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

ringer

1 of 2 noun
ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər How to pronounce ringer (audio)
1
: one that sounds especially by ringing
2
a
: one that enters a competition with a false identity
b
: one that strongly resembles another
often used with dead
a dead ringer for the senator

ringer

2 of 2 noun
: a quoit or horseshoe that falls right over a peg

More from Merriam-Webster on ringer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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