spin one's wheels
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: spin someone's wheels
Sense 1
Meaning · English
To expel much effort for little or no gain.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Tốn nhiều công sức mà không đạt được kết quả đáng kể
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Imported from Wikipedia “English-language idioms” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review.
Sense 2
Meaning · English
To expend effort without making progress
Literally: turning wheels without moving
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “spin one's wheels” mean?
To expel much effort for little or no gain.
Is “spin one's wheels” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.