get the runaround
get the runaround verb: to be given unclear, evasive, or unhelpful information, often when seeking answers, assistance or services.
Verb
get the runaround (third-person singular simple present gets the runaround, present participle getting the runaround, simple past got the runaround, past participle (UK) got the runaround or (US) gotten the runaround)
- To be given unclear, evasive, or unhelpful information, often when seeking answers, assistance or services.
- I began to call the INS regularly to check up on the status of my application. I got the proverbial "run-around," and this effort only confirmed my suspicion that the INS was sitting on my application.1986, Gilberto Gerald, “With My Head Held Up High”, in Joseph Beam, editor, In The Life: A Black Gay Anthology
Forms of get the runaround
| third-person singular present | gets the runaround |
|---|---|
| present participle | getting the runaround |
| past | got the runaround |
| past participle UK | got the runaround |
| past participle US | gotten the runaround |
Questions about get the runaround
- What does get the runaround mean?
- Get the runaround means to be given unclear, evasive, or unhelpful information, often when seeking answers, assistance or services.
- What part of speech is get the runaround?
- Get the runaround is a verb.
- What is the past tense of get the runaround?
- The past tense of get the runaround is got the runaround.
Words near get the runaround in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: get the runaround (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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