spin one's wheels
spin one's wheels {v. phr.}
1. Said of cars stuck in snow or mud whose wheels are turning without the car moving forward.
There was so much snow on the driveway that my car's wheels were spinning in it and we couldn't get going.
2. To exert effort in a job without making any progress.
I've been working for the firm for two decades, but I feel I am merely spinning my wheels.
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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms