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
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
Norman W. SchurInitial plans became irretrievably mired in the red tape of building permissions.—Bella Pollen
Bella PollenTheir 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
Sarah KerrExamples of red tape in a Sentence
You would not believe the red tape involved in getting the required permits.
Recent Examples on the Web
Easing zoning and permitting rules Many housing experts point to local zoning and red tape as the root of the slowdown in homebuilding — something that is difficult for the federal government to address, since each local government makes its own rules.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Given the enormous energy needs of AI and limits on available land for placing massive arrays of solar panels—not to mention all the red tape—building new AI data centers will be much cheaper in orbit, where solar panels are five times more effective than on the ground.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
What’s frustrating is that solutions already exist but are stuck in red tape.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
That move freed up millions of dollars, allowing Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and PennDOT employees to work overtime, waive certain regulations and cut red tape for state-level road clearing.
—Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
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Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Given the enormous energy needs of AI and limits on available land for placing massive arrays of solar panels—not to mention all the red tape—building new AI data centers will be much cheaper in orbit, where solar panels are five times more effective than on the ground.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
What’s frustrating is that solutions already exist but are stuck in red tape.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
That move freed up millions of dollars, allowing Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and PennDOT employees to work overtime, waive certain regulations and cut red tape for state-level road clearing.
—Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for red tape
Cite this Entry
“Red tape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20tape. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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