in a rut

Idioms and Phrases

In a settled or established habit or course of action, especially a boring one. For example, We go to the seashore every summer—we're in a rut , or After ten years at the same job she says she's in a rut . This expression alludes to having a wheel stuck in a groove in the road. [Early 1800s]

Example Sentences

In the book, none of the three women has quite the life they hoped for and Ellie is stuck in a rut as she reaches her milestone birthday.

From BBC

Ms Hext, who trains at Team Bath, said she was "in a rut" while in hospital, but was lucky the Paralympics were being shown on TV.

From BBC

Another commenter wrote on a separate post: “I use them to diversify my menu. When we get in a rut eating the same stuff month after month we order a week or so of blue apron or hello fresh and the recipes we like we add to the rotation. We haven’t done it in a while. We'll do it again soon!”

From Salon

“If you’re wondering, ‘How am I ever going to pay it off?’ that would be the definition of being caught in a rut,” Grant says.

From Seattle Times

“A good amount of days, I felt stuck in a rut. One day, I didn’t get out of bed until 1 p.m. That’s not like me. I’m up and at ’em.”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• ended
• established
• resolved