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
Run on my Peloton treadmill, meditate and write, and use 3D printing.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
Another experiment found people who used their phone while walking on a treadmill had higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, afterward.
—Megan Sauer, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
The resort’s gym, brand-spanking new, was filled with Technogym bikes, treadmills, and plenty of weights and space.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 10 Oct. 2025
This is the lightest of stretches, those first few seconds of a treadmill run when the machine is barely moving.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for treadmill
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Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
Another experiment found people who used their phone while walking on a treadmill had higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, afterward.
—Megan Sauer, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
The resort’s gym, brand-spanking new, was filled with Technogym bikes, treadmills, and plenty of weights and space.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 10 Oct. 2025
This is the lightest of stretches, those first few seconds of a treadmill run when the machine is barely moving.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 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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