ringer

1 of 2

noun (1)

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər 

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 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)

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• charlatan
• fake
• faker
• fakir
• fraud
• hoaxer
• humbug
• impostor
• imposter
• mountebank
• phony
• phoney
• pretender
• quack
• quacksalver
• sham

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

Noun

There are more recent examples, but since the nervous 2024 screen economy is stuck in a perpetual time loop with whatever worked before, whether the new script works or not, these two Eddie Murphy ringers are a good place to start. —Michael Phillips, Twin Cities, 7 June 2024

It was lost on no one that Nyle was a ringer for Mister Margulies. —Lisa Depaulo, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2024

There were fake photos of water polo competitions, ringers taking the SATs, and a cast of chief executives and Hollywood types. —Mark Gimein, theweek, 19 Feb. 2024

More specifically, the top nods to a ringer tee featuring one of Casali’s designs that was famously worn by Clementine (Kate Winslet) in 2006’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. —Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 17 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ringer

• dead ringer
• ringer tee
• ringer T-shirt

Kids Definition

ringer

1 of 2 noun

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər 

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