red tape
noun
: 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
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
Norman W. SchurInitial plans became irretrievably mired in the red tape of building permissions.—Bella Pollen
Bella PollenTheir 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
Sarah KerrExamples of red tape in a Sentence
You would not believe the red tape involved in getting the required permits.
Recent Examples on the Web
Critics of the program also say the red tape doesn't help enrollees find jobs.
—Renuka Rayasam, ABC News, 18 July 2025
Laura Bonilla, deputy director of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, a Bogotá think tank, says excessive government red tape for purchasing and flying drones has hamstrung the military.
—John Otis, NPR, 16 July 2025
Yet, this project took 18 years to actually get built due to bureaucratic red tape and a prolonged CEQA lawsuit filed by a neighboring business.
—Thomas Irwin, Oc Register, 15 July 2025
The Trump administration says the law imposes burdensome red tape on the production of eggs and egg products across the country because of the state’s outsize role in the national economy.
—Brit Morse, Fortune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for red tape
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Renuka Rayasam, ABC News, 18 July 2025
Laura Bonilla, deputy director of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, a Bogotá think tank, says excessive government red tape for purchasing and flying drones has hamstrung the military.
—John Otis, NPR, 16 July 2025
Yet, this project took 18 years to actually get built due to bureaucratic red tape and a prolonged CEQA lawsuit filed by a neighboring business.
—Thomas Irwin, Oc Register, 15 July 2025
The Trump administration says the law imposes burdensome red tape on the production of eggs and egg products across the country because of the state’s outsize role in the national economy.
—Brit Morse, Fortune, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for red tape
Cite this Entry
“Red tape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20tape. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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