as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct
the cab driver took a very indirect route to the hotel a long-winded, indirect answer to a very simple question
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Recent Examples of indirect
But the indirect benefits are equally significant.
—
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Direct strikes are the deadliest, but most strikes are indirect—a side flash coming off a tree, a current running through the ground, a streamer rising up from below—and most people survive these.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Trump helped negotiate a peace deal between Congo and neighboring Rwanda, seen as an indirect but key player in the conflict, while Qatar and other partners have championed similar efforts involving direct negotiations between the government and the M23.
—Ope Adetayo, Arkansas Online, 15 Mar. 2026
Easter cactus likes bright, indirect light, not direct sunlight, which can scorch the foliage.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Direct strikes are the deadliest, but most strikes are indirect—a side flash coming off a tree, a current running through the ground, a streamer rising up from below—and most people survive these.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Trump helped negotiate a peace deal between Congo and neighboring Rwanda, seen as an indirect but key player in the conflict, while Qatar and other partners have championed similar efforts involving direct negotiations between the government and the M23.
—Ope Adetayo, Arkansas Online, 15 Mar. 2026
Easter cactus likes bright, indirect light, not direct sunlight, which can scorch the foliage.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indirect
Adjective
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Part of Poole’s Wizards legacy is that his contract, in a slightly roundabout way, helped the Wizards bring Young aboard.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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The nightly viewership of the somewhat antiquated TV format can no longer justify the expense — at least, that’s the roundabout reason CBS gave for canceling The Late Show.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The first Navitimer was made back in 1952 for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, giving fliers the ability to draw up flight calculations right aboard their aircraft thanks the watch’s circular slide rule.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
18 Mar. 2026
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Despite the rise of other tobacco alternatives like vapes, sales of nicotine pouches, stored in circular, gum-like dispensers, soared 641% from 2019 to 2022, according to 2024 research cited in the Journal of the American Medical Association.—
Pilar Melendez,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indirect. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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