Meaning & use
getting the run around
Last updated
“getting the run around” is a form of “get the runaround”.
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Being given excuses or passed between people instead of getting a clear answer or help.
Grammar: Used as a continuous verb phrase after a form of 'be' or 'get': 'She is getting the runaround from customer service.' It takes the preposition 'from' before the person or organization.
Patterns
- getting the runaround from someone
- get the runaround about something
- give someone the runaround
I've been getting the runaround from the phone company for weeks about my bill.
After getting the runaround from three different departments, he finally spoke to a manager.
Stop giving me the runaround and tell me if the job is still available.
Common combinations
- get the runaround from
- We got the runaround from the insurance company for months.
- give someone the runaround
- The receptionist gave me the runaround instead of booking an appointment.
- be tired of getting the runaround
- Customers are tired of getting the runaround when they call for support.
- keep getting the runaround
- I keep getting the runaround every time I ask for a refund.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be given the brush-off
- This means being dismissed or ignored rudely, while 'getting the runaround' focuses on being sent from person to person with excuses.
- be stonewalled
- This means being refused information or cooperation completely, often by silence, rather than being passed around with excuses.
Opposites
Word family
- runaround noun
- The noun form, usually in 'give someone the runaround' or 'get the runaround'.
- get the runaround phrase
- The base form of the idiom; 'getting the run around' is its -ing form.
Commonly confused: getting the run around or run around?
getting the run around vs run around
As two words, 'run around' is a literal verb meaning to run in different directions or to be very busy. The idiom 'get the runaround' (one word or two) is figurative and means to be given excuses.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'getting the runaround' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The idiom takes 'from' before the person or organization giving the excuses: 'getting the runaround from someone'. 'To' suggests movement toward a place, 'for' suggests doing something on behalf of someone, and 'at' suggests location, none of which fit the meaning of being given excuses.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “getting the run around”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.