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

… 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

They were illuminated as dull streaks of red, as the group’s flashlights were covered with red tape to reduce the light. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026

The plan has swayed the city of Burbank to help the team cut through the red tape, Burke and Younesi say. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

But collecting these gifts can take months or even years of navigating red tape, according to experts. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

This means less red tape, less bureaucracy and more freedom to try new and creative ideas. — Don Markland, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the red tape formerly used to bind legal documents in England

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for red tape

• agape
• escape
• landscape
• lenape
• reshape
• seascape
• soundscape
• ape
• cape
• crape
• crepe
• drape

Kids Definition

red tape

noun

: rules and regulations that waste people's time