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Glite Dictionary
to go round in circles

to go round in circles

1 5.2
To keep doing the same thing without making progress
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : dar vueltas
  • We could all argue forever and go round in circles without reaching a decision.

Examples

  • You know, we're just going round in circles here.

    Sex Lives of the Potato Men (2004)

  • We seem to be going round in circles.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • I feel like we're going round in circles.

    Blog text (28)

  • We could all argue forever and go round in circles.

    Blog text (14)

  • And unless you want to go round in circles you'd better start steering.

    Brief Encounter (1945)

  • I feel like we're just going round in circles and not making any progress.

  • Niall told him they were all fed up with going round in circles with this issue.

Synonyms

beating a dead horse
vsto go round in circles
  • Informal
6 7.5

Continuing to talk about something already decided and pointless

focuses on repetition without progress rather than continuing settled issues
to talk in circles
vsto go round in circles
  • Informal
3 7.2

To discuss something again and again without reaching a decision

applies equally to repetitive activity, not only repeated discussion
to spin your wheels
vsto go round in circles
  • Informal
2 7.9

To waste time and effort without making progress

describes pointless repetition as well but adds idea of wasted effort
to chase its tail
vsto go round in circles
  • Informal
1 7.5

To keep doing the same task without getting anywhere

is used for discussions as well as pointless activities
to speak in circles
vsto go round in circles
  • Informal
7.5

Talk without saying a clear answer, often repeating or being vague

describes repetitive pointless discussion rather than deliberate vagueness

Antonyms

to making progress
251 2.8

Getting better at a task or skill you are working on

to move ahead
61 2.7

To start or continue something so it gets closer to a goal

How Productive

to keep it moving
  • Informal
161 4.4
to slow up
8 2.7
to go round in circles
  • Informal
1 5.2
to waste time
728 1.6

Surface Forms

go round in circles infinitive
went round in circles past
gone round in circles past participle
going round in circles present participle
goes round in circles third person singular

Morphology

go + round + in + circle

The idiomatic sense (‘no progress, pointless repetition’) is a direct metaphorical extension of the literal components — moving/going ‘round in circles’ evokes motion that returns to the same place and thus no progress. This spatial-to-abstract mapping is fairly accessible and occurs in other languages, but it is still a metaphorical shift that a B1 learner might not fully infer without prior exposure, so it is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Go round in circles comes from the picture of someone who goes round in circles, walking and always returning to the same place. So, it means 'to do something again and again without any progress'.