Runaround means deliberately avoiding giving someone a straight answer or the help they need, usually by sending them from person to person or making endless excuses. When you ask your dad if you can go to a friend's house and he says “ask your mom,” then your mom says “ask your dad,” you're getting the runaround.

Imagine calling a company to fix a problem and being transferred to five different departments, with each person saying “that's not my area” or “you need to talk to someone else.” That frustrating experience of going in circles without getting anywhere is the runaround. Sometimes people give you the runaround on purpose because they don't want to deal with your request. Other times it happens because organizations are disorganized or nobody wants to take responsibility.

You might say someone is giving you the runaround or that you're getting the runaround. The word suggests wasted time and growing frustration: you keep trying to get something done, but you end up going in circles instead of making progress. When someone finally gives you a direct answer or actually solves your problem, that's the opposite of the runaround.