go in circles
Never get anywhere
To go in circles is to expend effort without making progress, returning repeatedly to the same point.
The image is of movement that never advances: We've been going in circles on this issue for months.
Also run in circles, talk in circles.
The literal sense—physically traveling a circular path—is less common: I think we're going in circles; that landmark looks familiar.
- rutChannel or tedium
- repetitiveMarked by recurrence
- same old same oldWearisome repetition of routine
- overthinkPonder far too much
- cycleRepeating sequence of events
stuck in a rut · vicious cycle · stagnate · loop · futile · ruminate · tread water · fixate · pointless · fruitless · beating a dead horse · hamster wheel · dog chasing tail · redundant · obsess · ineffective · unproductive · vacillate
go in circlesmake progress
Move toward completion
move forward · advance · go straight · make headway · progress
go in circlesbreak through
Surmount an obstacle suddenly
get to the bottom of · figure it out · resolve · cut to the chase · get to the point
goes, gone, going, goer, goers, circle, circles, circled, circling