spin one's wheels

verb

To make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.

“I've been spinning my wheels on this problem all week, with nothing to show for it.”

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Meanings

verbspin one's wheels (third-person singular simple present spins one's wheels, present participle spinning one's wheels, simple past and past participle spun one's wheels)

present singular third person spins one's wheels · participle present spinning one's wheels · participle past spun one's wheels · past spun one's wheels

  1. idiomaticTo make no progress despite making an effort; to get nowhere.

    I've been spinning my wheels on this problem all week, with nothing to show for it.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
beat one's meat
Cite this entry
APA

spin one's wheels. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spin%20one's%20wheels

MLA

“spin one's wheels.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spin%20one's%20wheels. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spin one's wheels,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spin%20one's%20wheels.

Source: spin one's wheels on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.