runaround

American  

[ruhn-uh-round] / ˈrʌn əˌraʊnd /

noun

1. indecisive or evasive treatment, especially in response to a request.

   Ask for a raise and he'll give you the runaround.

   Synonyms:

   slip, evasion, dodge

2. Printing. an arrangement of type in which several lines are set in narrower measure than the others in a column to accommodate an illustration, initial, or the like.

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runaround Idioms  

1. see get the runaround.

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Etymology

Origin of runaround

1870–75, noun use of verb phrase run around

Example Sentences

Emails to Saks asking about owed payments often went unanswered or were met with a runaround, said Emiliano Shnitzer-Bartocci, vice president of CTE Watch Co., which distributes Timex watches and Ray-Ban sunglasses among other accessories.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

People generally use “Kafkaesque” as an exaggerated metaphor, perhaps to describe the runaround you get from an insurance company or an especially aggravating trip to the DMV.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2025

I got in touch with Booking and spoke with several agents about getting a refund, but they gave me the runaround, continually insisting on more documentation.

From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2024

But after giving his first club Liverpool the runaround on opening weekend, he now has two successive high-calibre games to brandish at his seemingly ever-present and emboldened band of detractors.

From BBC • Aug. 25, 2023

I tried calling them, and I got the runaround there as well.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah