ring down the curtain
To end something.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“It is time to ring down the curtain on this project.”
“We ring down the curtain on our summer holiday tomorrow.”
“They ring down the curtain on the festival with a big firework show.”
“After twenty years of successful business, the owners decided to ring down the curtain on their local shop.”
“The band played one last song to ring down the curtain on their final world tour.”
“The coach decided to ring down the curtain on his career after the team won the championship.”
“The president's final speech to the nation will ring down the curtain on four years of intense political debate and social change.”
“The sudden resignation of the director served to ring down the curtain on an era of unprecedented growth and innovation for the struggling company.”
Derived from the theatrical practice of ringing a bell to signal the stagehands to lower the curtain at the conclusion of a performance. The signal ensured the mechanical transition occurred in unison with the actors' final movements, mirroring the phrase ring up the curtain used for the commencement of the play.
- 01
bring down the curtain
To bring something to an end.
- 02
give someone a ring
To place a telephone call to someone.
- 03
hold the ring
To oversee a situation while attempting to remain uninvolved in it.
- 04
kiss someone's ring
To give respect or reverence to someone; to express servitude to someone.
- 05
make the welkin ring
To celebrate or revel.
- 06
pull back the curtain
To reveal an underlying truth.
- 07
ring a bell
To seem at least vaguely familiar.
- 08
ring false
To seem to be incorrect, or implausible.
Last updated August 10, 2026