Rope-a-dope

Origin

See Rope-a-dope.

Full definition of rope-a-dope

Noun

1. (boxing) A 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.
• 1999, James W Hall, Tropical FreezeHe sounded like a retired boxer who'd specialized in the rope-a-dope.
• 2003, Steve Hamilton, North of NowhereI 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.
2. (figuratively) Any strategy where an apparently losing position is assumed in the hope of eventual victory.
• 2002, Steven Hill, Fixing Elections...process that in recent years has degenerated, sadly, into one long scorched-earth campaign filled with partisan rancor and legislative rope-a-dope.
• 2007, Robert Shrum, No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial CampaignerMaybe, 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.