treadmill
noun
tread·mill
ˈtred-ˌmil 
1
a
: a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place for exercise or physiological testing
b
: a mill worked by an animal treading an endless belt
c
: a mill worked by persons treading on steps on the periphery of a wide wheel having a horizontal axis and used formerly in prison punishment
2
: a wearisome or monotonous routine resembling continued activity on a treadmill
the office treadmill
Examples of treadmill in a Sentence
the treadmill of exhausting family schedules
the treadmill of the morning commute to work
Recent Examples on the Web
That heart-racing portfolio already includes 1:1 Coaching, Outdoor Run Clubs and Equinox’s signature treadmill class on its proprietary Woodway equipment.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 2 May 2025
Alice killing Jane gets its own paragraph: After awkwardly running like Taylor Swift in that treadmill commercial, Alice hops over Jane, grabs her by the throat, and feeds her to a drooling wolf.
—Wolfgang Ruth, Vulture, 1 May 2025
There are multiple dining and nutrition stations; training and recovery spaces that feature four massive in-ground tubs (cold, hot, adjustable treadmill floor), a sauna, cryotherapy chamber and dry-float recovery tanks; players lounges, offices and team meeting spaces.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
In another room, heated to 90 degrees and scented to simulate the smell of an African village, visitors pick up two weighted jerrycans and walk on a treadmill surrounded by floor-to-ceiling LED screens—viscerally conveying a reality no statistic could.
—Megan Bruneau, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for treadmill
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Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 2 May 2025
Alice killing Jane gets its own paragraph: After awkwardly running like Taylor Swift in that treadmill commercial, Alice hops over Jane, grabs her by the throat, and feeds her to a drooling wolf.
—Wolfgang Ruth, Vulture, 1 May 2025
There are multiple dining and nutrition stations; training and recovery spaces that feature four massive in-ground tubs (cold, hot, adjustable treadmill floor), a sauna, cryotherapy chamber and dry-float recovery tanks; players lounges, offices and team meeting spaces.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
In another room, heated to 90 degrees and scented to simulate the smell of an African village, visitors pick up two weighted jerrycans and walk on a treadmill surrounded by floor-to-ceiling LED screens—viscerally conveying a reality no statistic could.
—Megan Bruneau, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for treadmill
Cite this Entry
“Treadmill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treadmill. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
treadmill
noun
tread·mill
ˈtred-ˌmil
1
a
: a device moved by persons treading on steps set around the rim of a wide wheel or by animals walking on an endless belt
b
: a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place for exercise or medical testing
2
: a tiring or monotonous routine
Medical Definition
treadmill
noun
tread·mill
ˈtred-ˌmil
: a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place that is used for exercise and in tests of physiological functions see stress test
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