ring off

1. To form a barrier in or as in a circular shape. (The past tense and past participle for this entry are both "ringed.") Heavy iron fences ring off the animal enclosure to prevent them from getting out—and foolhardy visitors from getting in. Military forces ringed off the area to prevent the rebels from escaping.

2. In hockey, to hit one of the goalposts with the puck, producing a ringing sound as a result. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "ring" and "off." (In usages 2-3, the past tense of "ring" is "rang," and the past participle is "rung.") With an open net in front of him, the forward had a chance to send the game to overtime, but he rang the puck off the crossbar. I rang it off the post three times in a row before finally scoring a goal.

3. To finish a telephone call; to hang up. Primarily heard in UK. I knew the call was a scam, because the man on the other end rang off as soon as I asked him for his credentials. She had rung off in a huff before I could tell her how I really felt.