close ranks (English, verb)
expansion: close ranks (third-person singular simple present closes ranks, present participle closing ranks, simple past and past participle closed ranks)
Senses:
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: To close the spacing between lines (ranks) of troops, as they are deployed across a battlefield, thereby decreasing the depth of the formation as it faces the enemy side.
glosses: To regroup forces, especially when this involves overlooking differences in order to face a challenge or adverse situation. Often implies making a show of unity, especially to the public.
tags: figuratively
glosses: To maintain silence and secrecy in the face of some external threat.
tags: figuratively
Forms:
form: closes ranks
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: closing ranks
tags: participle
present
form: closed ranks
tags: participle
past
form: closed ranks
tags: past