close ranks
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s always easier to close ranks against the external foe than to battle the enemy within.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025
I expect, of course, for the president to quickly close ranks.
From Slate • Jul. 18, 2025
He thinks Latino politicians need to close ranks like he feels other ethnicities do.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2025
The opposition, which has historically been deeply divided, called the primary - in which ordinary people were allowed to vote - to close ranks behind a single contender for the presidency.
From BBC • Oct. 23, 2023
“All I see about me is strife. You must close ranks and present a unified front.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.