as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct
a rather circular discussion of the problem that never addresses it directly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in booklet
a short printed publication with no cover or with a paper cover
promptly tosses out those advertising circulars that come in the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circular
Andrew MacKie, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Because of the positions and orbits of neighboring moons, Io’s orbit is elliptical rather than circular.
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
In total, the court circular recorded 16 days of in-person meetings in October and 15 in November.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for circular
Adjective
In the middle of the store is a stunning visual centerpiece with a circular walled display of the most high-end trading cards, from a Stephen Curry on-card autograph for $3,500 to a top-PSA-grade Tom Brady rookie card for $8,700.
—Andrew MacKie, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Because of the positions and orbits of neighboring moons, Io’s orbit is elliptical rather than circular.
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
Discount and price comparison apps Discount apps like Flipp aggregate sales fliers and store circulars.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
In total, the court circular recorded 16 days of in-person meetings in October and 15 in November.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for circular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circular
Adjective
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So in a roundabout way, there was a collective groan late Sunday night in Portland when Lillard crumpled to the floor like he had been shot in Milwaukee.—
Jason Quick,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article A massive project to transform historic Grand Avenue in Escondido into a new city hub is well underway, having already created wider sidewalks, new parking, a roundabout and other improvements along one block.—
Gary Warth,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Out May 30 via Asthmatic Kitty, Carrie & Lowell (10th Anniversary Edition) includes a 40-page photo booklet and an essay written by Stevens.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2025
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As for this box set, there’s not much on the disc, but that’s made up for by a very thorough 128-page booklet containing all manner of interviews and background on the series.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The order mandates that the CPB revise its 2025 General Provisions to explicitly prohibit direct or indirect funding to NPR and PBS.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
2 May 2025
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The bill bans individuals who have had their community association manager licenses revoked from having a direct or indirect ownership in or working for an association firm.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Noun
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Its distinctive leaves consist of small leaflets arranged in rows on each side of the central vein, and its small yellow flowers appear in spherical clusters.—
Erik Zou,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Apr. 2025
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Outside of the Orland Park Civic Center, a polling place on Tuesday, McLaughlin was handing out leaflets supporting Dodge and the Orland Park for All group as well as for his daughter, Bridget Lindbloom, running for a library board seat.—
Mike Nolan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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City Parks Foundation presents more than 70 free and benefit shows to Central Park and 13 neighborhood parks across the five boroughs — the full lineup appears below; view the official SummerStage 2025 season announcement video here and the full season brochure here.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2025
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Following these events, CPS HR Consulting will draft a recruitment brochure.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Automating cleanup tasks in your Downloads folder saves you time and stress.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
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Then, on Saturday, The New York Times published another image from the same gathering—this one showing Whitmer holding blue file folders in front of her face as camera shutters snapped.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Frequent flyers with SkyTeam airlines may find excellent redemption value on SAS flights, which are classified as domestic routes despite their Arctic destination, although the availability of bonus flights is limited.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Delta Passenger 'Livid' After Airline Gives Their First Class Seat to Dog: 'What an Absolute Joke' His video comes after a passenger claimed a 6-foot-5-inch-tall flyer was moved to the exit row of a plane after repeatedly shoving the seat in front of him while trying to get comfortable.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These scenes have all the charm and energy of an informational pamphlet, devitalizing a tale that’s otherwise about tying up loose ends in beautifully unexpected fashion.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
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In 1746, authorities investigated Grierson for disseminating Jacobite pamphlets.—
Alexandra Cox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circular. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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