ringer

1 of 2

noun (1)

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər How to pronounce ringer (audio)
Synonyms of ringernext
1
: one that sounds especially by ringing
2
a(1)
: one that enters a competition under false representations
(2)
: imposter, fake
b
: one that strongly resembles another
—often used with dead
He's a dead ringer for his father.

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)

Synonyms of ringer

Relevance

Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
The debtor may also have a ringer show up at the judicial sale to try to bid up the asset so that the debtor gets the biggest credit against the judgment. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Flowers decamped to Nashville, hired producers Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado, whose work excels at mimicking the textures of older records, and recruited a band full of session-pro ringers. — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 25 Aug. 2026 Brava roofing has dead-ringer good looks for fussy favorites like cedar shakes, slate, and Spanish barrel tile, but the roofing is Class 4 impact-rated, the highest rating given by independent testing labs. — Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026 Casual tees, in general, have dominated the summer 2026 trend cycle, between retro striped ringer tees and rugby polos to raglan shirts and sports jerseys. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 12 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing ringer

Rhymes for ringer

See All Rhymes for ringer

Browse Nearby Words

ringent
ringer
Ringer's solution
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ringer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ringer. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ringer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All