run circles around

English

Alternative forms

• run circles round

Etymology

Figurative, by the metaphor of lapping footrace competitors.

Verb

run circles around (third-person singular simple present runs circles around, present participle running circles around, simple past ran circles around, past participle run circles around)

1. (figurative) To outperform by a great margin.

   Synonyms: run rings around, run rings round

   You may think you're a good seller Carla, but Rickey will run circles around you any day!

Usage notes

• This phrase is the prototype for many variants using verbs other than "run". In some cases the resulting expressions seem strained because the literal sense of "circles" clashes with the nature of the verb. See Citations:run circles around#Variants.