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3. run in place

run in place

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run in place

also jog in place

to move your legs as if you were running but without moving forward To keep up your exercise program in winter, you can always run in place on a treadmill - or on the kitchen floor.

See also: place, run

run in place

Work or exert oneself without noticeable change or progress. For example, I've worked on this project for months but feel I'm running in place. This idiom employs in place in the sense of "on one spot," a usage dating from the late 1200s.

See also: place, run