merry-go-round

noun6

1. •
   (US) A piece of playground equipment consisting of a circular platform that is made to revolve by pushing while users stand on it.
2. •
   Synonym of carousel (“a pleasure ride, typically found at amusement parks and fairs and accompanied by music, consisting of a slowly revolving circular platform on which are fixed various seats, frequently shaped like horses or other animals, cars, etc., which may also move up and down”).

   • William had eleven consecutive rides on the merry-go-round. He had made up his mind to have twelve, but, much to his regret, had to relinquish the twelfth owing to certain unpleasant sensations. — 1922
3. •
   (figurative) A bustle of activity; also, a meaningless cycle of activity.

   • Come join the fun, it's a merry-go-round / Everyone's dancing their troubles away — 1983
4. •
   [before a noun] A freight train of hopper wagons which loads and unloads its cargo while moving continuously on a circular track, often incorporating a balloon loop.

   • Reshaping [of British Railways] initiated the development of what would become merry-go-round trains, delivering coal non-stop to power stations in newly built hopper wagons. — 2023
5. •
   (figurative) An informal cooperative scheme in which members (often women) regularly contribute money to a pool, the collected money being then paid out to one of the members; this is repeated so that every member eventually receives money. The collected money may also be invested, or loaned to members.
6. •
   (figurative) A series of singles and doubles that allows the batting team to score while still having runners on base who can be driven in by the next batter.

   • Russell kept the merry-go-round moving with an RBI single that advanced Henderson to third.