Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

spin-your-wheels

idiom
/spɪn jʊər wiːlz/
Definition
To waste time or effort on a task without making progress.
Examples
  • Despite working long hours, he felt like he was just spinning his wheels without achieving any real goals.
  • She realized that attending unnecessary meetings was just making her spin her wheels instead of being productive.
Meaning
The phrase suggests that one is investing energy or time into something that isn’t yielding results, similar to a car spinning its wheels on a slippery surface without moving forward.
Synonyms
  • wasting time
  • going in circles
  • making no progress
  • treading water