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

Both Mayor Mamdani and City Council members have said that high costs and red tape have deterred restaurant participation in outdoor dining, contributing to a drop from more than 13,000 establishments approved during the pandemic to what may be as few as 2,500 this spring. —Andrew Rigie, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026

TriHealth has stated their goals with negotiations have been fair reimbursement and less administrative red tape. —Brooklyn Andres, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Dec. 2025

Administrative red tape stifles growth Beyond direct financial costs, small business owners are struggling with a sudden increase in bureaucratic red tape. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Dec. 2025

After getting through all the red tape, the organization asked the God Bless America Motorcycle Color Guard to escort Jasmine to Stormy’s home in Pennsylvania. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025

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