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

Budget cuts, layoffs, and bureaucratic red tape could all conspire to make your life more difficult. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026

Because the veteran lawmaker knew whom to call, Kifowit was able to cut through the red tape in about a day and a half and get the surgery approved. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

One way the city wants to cut that red tape is by changing the rules for how much land is needed to build. — Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

For an industry that’s already forced to navigate competing union interests, corporate headwinds, and endless miles of red tape, adding another layer of compliance may seem impossible. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 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