Meaning
To join together in solidarity, especially when the group or one of its members faces outside criticism, investigation, or attack. The phrase stresses presenting a united front, and it can carry the implication that the group is shutting outsiders out, or concealing things, in order to protect its own. Neutral in describing solidarity, but often tinged with suspicion of protective silence or cover-up. Regional use: General English (military origin).
Origin
A direct transfer of a military manoeuvre: soldiers standing in ranks close the gaps between them so that the line of battle presents an unbroken front to attack. The command sense is as old as linear warfare and needed no explanation when manuals ordered troops to close ranks before a cavalry charge. The figurative use is much younger; Merriam-Webster dates the idiom's first known use, in the sense 'to unite in a concerted stand especially to meet a challenge', to 1847. Modern dictionary definitions (Cambridge defines it as group members making an effort to stay united, especially to defend themselves against criticism) mark the defensive, sometimes secretive nuance the phrase carries today, particularly in reporting on institutions under pressure.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- close ranks against
- close ranks around someone
- close the ranks
- closed ranks
Usage Examples
- When the auditors arrived, the department closed ranks and referred every question to the director.
- Faced with questions from the press, the village closed ranks and nobody would say a word.
- The party closed ranks around its leader within hours of the resignation call.