red tape
nounDefinition of red tape
: official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction
bureaucratic red tape … enterprisers that show how people across the Nation are coping (or not coping) with such problems as unemployment, the budget deficit and Government red tape.— John Weisman … pompous officials (often lowly clerks) in love with red tape who delight in obstructing the expedition of what should be simple procedures.— Norman W. Schur Initial plans became irretrievably mired in the red tape of building permissions.— Bella Pollen Their plan is simple enough and none too glamorous: create a Web site to help people cut through red tape; i.e., pay for parking tickets and so on.— Sarah Kerr
Examples of red tape in a Sentence
You would not believe the red tape involved in getting the required permits.
Recent Examples on the Web
Asian, black and Hispanic survey-takers said economic development initiatives such as job creation and cutting red tape for businesses were higher priorities than police. — oregonlive.com, "Portlanders report deep unhappiness with City Hall’s response to homelessness," 23 Aug. 2019 Mr Sisi needs to move beyond fiscal reforms by cutting red tape, removing barriers to trade, and pushing the army out of business. — The Economist, "Egypt is reforming its economy, but poverty is rising," 8 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'red tape.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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