roundabout

1 of 2

adjective

round·​about ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t 

: circuitous, indirect

had to take a roundabout route

roundaboutness noun

roundabout

2 of 2

noun

1

: a circuitous route : detour

2

British : merry-go-round

3

: a short close-fitting jacket worn by men and boys especially in the 19th century

4

: rotary sense 2

Synonyms

Adjective

• indirect
• circular
• twisting
• winding

Examples of roundabout in a Sentence

Adjective

He took a roundabout route to town.

In a roundabout way, he told me that my help was not wanted.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And the challenge of inhabiting such a dark, gruesome world in a weird roundabout way brought a lot of joy and levity to the set. —Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025

On the east end of Bonds Ranch Road, Inspire homes plans 196 single family homes just west of the Harmon Road roundabout. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025

Noun

Bonds Ranch Road in far north Fort Worth is notoriously frustrating for its traffic congestion, roundabouts and train crossings. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025

Oakland County now has the highest concentration of roundabouts in the state, with 44, although other counties continue to add them, too. —Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1608, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for roundabout

• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout

Kids Definition

roundabout

adjective

round·​about

ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t

: not direct

went a roundabout way