time loop

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A situation in which the same period of time repeats endlessly, often trapping a person in it.

   Grammar: Countable: use 'a time loop' or 'time loops'.

   Patterns

   • be stuck in a time loop
   • a time-loop story
   • break the time loop

   In the film, the hero is stuck in a time loop and relives the same morning over and over.

   She felt like she was in a time loop, doing the same chores every day.

   The novel uses a time loop to explore how small choices change everything.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A repeating cycle of events that seems impossible to escape, especially in work or daily life.

   Grammar: Often used figuratively with 'in': 'in a time loop of meetings'.

   Patterns

   • be in a time loop
   • a time loop of something

   Without new ideas, the company was caught in a time loop of failed projects.

   His days felt like a time loop of emails and coffee.

Word forms

Common combinations

stuck in a time loop

The character is stuck in a time loop and must solve the mystery to escape.

break the time loop

Only true love could break the time loop in the story.

a time-loop episode

The show's time-loop episode repeats the same party from different views.

Synonyms and how they differ

cycle

'Cycle' is a general word for anything that repeats; 'time loop' suggests being trapped in the repetition, often in fiction.

repetition

'Repetition' simply means something happening again; 'time loop' implies a closed, inescapable circle of time.

Word family

loop noun

A circle or repeated sequence; 'time loop' is a specific type.

looping adjective

Repeating continuously, as in 'looping video'.

Commonly confused: time loop or time warp?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “time loop”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words