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 of roundabout

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

The city will install public art in the center of the roundabout sometime in spring 2027. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026

Google’s statement is essentially a roundabout way of confirming that Workspace and Photos data may inform ads. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026

Noun

Moroccan flags fluttered in schoolchildren’s hands, portraits of King Mohammed VI overlooked roundabouts and public squares, and the national coat of arms adorned major boulevards. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

Lucas Petit was just 11 when hundreds of thousands of men and women wearing yellow vests poured onto the streets and occupied roundabouts across France in November 2018. — Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026

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