chase one's own tail

A form of chase one's tail — To busily try to perform many tasks or to repeatedly revise one's plans, especially with inefficient use of one's time and limited results.

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Meanings

verbchase one's own tail (third-person singular simple present chases one's own tail, present participle chasing one's own tail, simple past and past participle chased one's own tail)

present singular third person chases one's own tail · participle present chasing one's own tail · participle past chased one's own tail · past chased one's own tail

  1. alternativeAlternative form of chase one's tail.
Cite this entry
APA

chase one's own tail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chase%20one's%20own%20tail

MLA

“chase one's own tail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chase%20one's%20own%20tail. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chase one's own tail,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chase%20one's%20own%20tail.

Source: chase one's own tail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.