# spin one's wheels

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/spin-ones-wheels
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- Without a clear goal, you're just spinning your wheels.
- The team spent three months on the project before realizing they had been spinning their wheels the whole time.
- For years he remained in the same dead-end position, spinning his wheels while his peers advanced steadily around him.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.