Word.ws English Dictionary

getting the runaround

getting the runaround is the present participle and gerund of get the runaround.

Meaning of get the runaround

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)

  1. (idiomatic, informal) 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

Questions about getting the runaround

What is getting the runaround the present participle and gerund of?
Getting the runaround is the present participle and gerund of get the runaround.

Words near getting the runaround in the dictionary

  1. getting the nod
  2. getting the noggin joggin'
  3. getting the picture
  4. getting the point
  5. getting the push
  6. getting the runaround
  7. getting the sack
  8. getting the show on the road
  9. getting the thumb
  10. getting the vapors
  11. getting the vapours

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: getting the runaround (page history and authors); 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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