Spinning one's wheels is a phrase that is used to describe an action that is not productive and leads to no progress. The term can be broken down into two crossword solutions: PEDAL (5 letters) and GETNOWHERE (10 letters). PEDAL is an action that is done with the feet, usually on a bicycle, to move forward. GETNOWHERE is a phrase that means to make no progress or to go nowhere. Together, these two words form the phrase 'spin one's wheels, ' which is used to describe an action that is not productive and leads to no progress.