Meaning & use
ringer
Last updated
A person or thing that closely resembles another, especially a substitute brought in fraudulently to gain an advantage.
See it in a sentence
The coach was accused of bringing in a ringer to play in the amateur league.
With his cousin's same face, he was a dead ringer for the missing suspect.
A note on using this word
The phrase 'dead ringer,' meaning an exact double, likely comes from horse-racing slang for a fraudulently substituted horse.
Words with a similar meaning
impostorlookalike
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Another way to use it
2. noun
A device or person that rings something, such as a bell or telephone.
The phone's ringer was turned off during the meeting.
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