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

Trump has spent nearly a year touting his plans to build an arch at Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout. — Dan Diamond, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026

Adam Lane, Public Policy Manager for Waymo says that's just a de facto or roundabout way to ban autonomous cars. — Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Noun

Oswego opened its first roundabout to traffic in 2023 as part of a $70 million multi-year plan to improve Wolfs Crossing to help ease traffic congestion, improve safety and accommodate growth in town. — Linda Girardi, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

To increase safety, roundabouts are also planned for Pitkin Street and Burnside Avenue, according to the Department of Transportation. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 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