running in place
Locomotion without progress
Running in place is the act of performing running motions without moving forward—lifting the knees and pumping the arms while staying in one spot.
It's a common exercise or warm-up activity: She ran in place for five minutes while waiting for the rain to stop.
Figuratively, it describes effort that produces no progress: Despite all our meetings, we're just running in place.
- stationaryNot in motion
- staying putRemaining in place
- treadmillMotorized walking platform
- marchingRhythmic group walking
- high kneesExercise lifting thighs high
stagnant · exercise · warmup · cardio · sweat · panting · heartbeat · tiring out · futile · stuck · nowhere · hamster wheel · rat race · marking time · monotony · endurance · legs · knees
- stagnationstagnation, standstill, stasis, deadlock, stalemate
- jump rope tricksdouble bounce, criss cross, scissors, toe tap, foot switch
- exercisespush-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, cable row
- overdoing itoverdo, overreach, overwork, overspend, overexert
- time wastingprocrastinating, procrastination, dawdling, dithering, puttering
running in placemoving forward
Continuing toward a goal
covering ground · sprinting · traveling · advancing · moving ahead
running in placemaking progress
moving forward · advancing · gaining ground · making headway · getting ahead
running, runner, runners, runny, place, places, placed, placing, placement