1
as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct
we took a circuitous route to the airport so as to avoid the massive traffic jam on the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
a circuitous explanation for what seems like a fairly basic concept
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circuitous
Nathan learned about the fate of a great-aunt, who was confined at Theresienstadt, and her grandson, who by a circuitous, ultimately tragic path is remembered by Catholics as a martyr.
—
Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
Travel through the area can get circuitous for drivers as so many area streets are one-way and the area is heavily used by pedestrians.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Cherry took a circuitous route back to San Diego, moving to Phoenix for high school, then a junior college in New Mexico for two seasons, then UNLV in 2024-25, then Sacramento State last season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
Two major highways have been closed for days due to landslides and floods, forcing travelers to take long, circuitous routes to reach their destinations.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
Travel through the area can get circuitous for drivers as so many area streets are one-way and the area is heavily used by pedestrians.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Cherry took a circuitous route back to San Diego, moving to Phoenix for high school, then a junior college in New Mexico for two seasons, then UNLV in 2024-25, then Sacramento State last season.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
Two major highways have been closed for days due to landslides and floods, forcing travelers to take long, circuitous routes to reach their destinations.
—ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
Adjective
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Republicans changed federal law to require an equal tax on private and public health insurance plans, negating a roundabout way California had used a tax on Medi-Cal plans to get more money from the federal government.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
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The party that’s most benefited from this trade one year in has been neither the Giants nor the Red Sox, but in a roundabout way, the Milwaukee Brewers.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Blackened with volcanic rock and encircled by towering waves, the tumultuous scenery makes a vivid psychic landscape for So Help Me God, a rambling spell of ’70s-era soul and exuberant orchestral folk-pop that sweeps through the fog of heartbreak and the clarity of self-discovery.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
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Lady Banks’ rose (Rosa banksiae) is a large, rambling rose that can quickly grow up to 20 feet long.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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This includes about 29,000 direct construction jobs, more than 80,000 indirect and induced construction jobs and nearly 10,000 jobs related to wind farm operations.—
Jennifer McDermott,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
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High humidity, medium indirect light, and warm temperatures are best for your prayer plant.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Even the blandest overtures can whip him into a frantic, pornographic, prolix ecstasy.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2026
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Ronald, who with his shock of white hair and prolix tendencies comes off like a frazzled professor, keeps to a more limited circuit writing out of his house and his office.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Toward the beginning of the episode, the group sits down to eat at a hole-in-the-wall barbecue spot and the camera swings around the table in a sweeping circular motion, capturing everyone laughing, bonding and sharing a meal.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
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The image showed Robinson gazing at the camera, dressed in circular statement earrings and a bandana print blouse buttoned to the top.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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