wheels within wheels

noun phrase

: a situation that is complex and difficult to deal with because it involves many different things
The problem seems simple at first, but there are wheels within wheels.

Examples of wheels within wheels in a Sentence

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Accidental melodies fade in and out of earshot; pulsing chords rise up from below and are swallowed back into the murk, only to be replaced by other pulses running at different tempi, giving the impression of wheels within wheels within wheels. Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 21 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wheels within wheels.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheels%20within%20wheels. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.

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