Word.ws English Dictionary

got the runaround

got the runaround is the simple past of get the runaround.

got the runaround is the past participle 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 got the runaround

What is got the runaround the simple past of?
Got the runaround is the simple past of get the runaround.

Words near got the runaround in the dictionary

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

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: got 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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