rope of sand
Something incohesive, flimsy, disconnected or unreliable
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Their plan is a rope of sand.”
“The new business partnership fell apart quickly because their agreement was just a rope of sand.”
“Despite the leader's grand promises of unity, the coalition proved to be a rope of sand that dissolved at the first sign of political pressure.”
- 01
build on sand
To put something in an unstable position by failing to give it a secure foundation.
- 02
bury one's head in the sand
To deliberately ignore the reality of a situation; to pretend a problem does not exist.
- 03
give someone enough rope
To allow one to function unhindered, or without further overbearing oversight.
- 04
line in the sand
A defining moment; a cutoff point.
- 05
money for old rope
Money earned with little effort.
- 06
pound sand
To engage in a simple, useless activity that anyone would reasonably know how to perform.
- 07
put one's head in the sand
Synonym of bury one's head in the sand.
- 08
skip rope
To jump over a rope, both of whose ends are held by the jumper or by two others, while the rope is moved under the jumper's feet in a continual rhythm; to play the game of jump rope or exercise by jumping rope.
Last updated August 10, 2026