돌리다 = To have something revolve, To have someting turn. 막다 = To defend. ' Verb + - 기' = Noun Literal meaning of 돌려막기 = Defending oneself by changing its assistants or helpers consistently. Real meaning in daily usage = Defending oneself financially from bankruptcy and credit disability by constantly borrowing money from one bank to another to payback the debt from previous bank again and again, but in vain to get the whole financial situation back to normal status Ex) ㄱ: 너, 요즘 너무 헤프게 돈 쓰는거 아니니? Don't you find your expenditure way out of budget these days? ㄴ: 아니 뭐 이 정도 가지고 그래? 먹고 싶은거, 입고 싶은것도 마음대로 못 사니? Not at all. Stop nagging at me. Can't I even spend for food and cloth for myself? ㄱ: 저번에 햇살론 300만원 댕긴 것도 아직 다 못 갚았잖아? 이자가 얼만데 You haven't even cleared your debt from previous loaning company. Do you have any idea how much interest would accumulate? ㄴ:아, 그거는 이번에 OO캐피탈에서 빌려서 다 갚았어 Ah, no problem because I've already covered it from OO capital (Another high-interest loaning company for example) ㄱ: 그건 결코 근본적인 문제 해결책이 아니야 돌려막기에 불과하다고, 정신좀 차려! It can never be a fundamental solution for your financial danger. It is nothing but a 돌려막기. Wake yourself up!

something like paying one card off with another card. but it doesn't need to be a financial debt and can be all sorts of problem.

돌려막기 means you solve one problem using another one which also has one problem. And then you use another one which has a problem as well to solve previous one. Ex, 카드돌려막기 (You pay card payment(A) using another credit card(B) then you pay B card payment by A credit card etc...)