Rut (roads)

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A rut is a depression or groove worn into a road or path by the travel of wheels or skis or by erosion from flowing water. In cold climate areas, such as Scandinavia, studded tires cause significant road surface wear in terms of rutting. Ruts can be removed by grading a road surface.

A vehicle with wheels or skis, travelling on a rutted road, if its wheels or skis enter an existing rut will have difficulty steering out of the rut. If it proves impossible to steer out of a rut, though forward and backward progress can be made by the vehicle, it is referred to as being stuck in the rut.

The term stuck in a rut can be used figuratively to refer to a situation in which, as time progresses, the situation is unable to be changed or steered in a desired way.