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

Starting an expensive professional golf league was a roundabout way to launder the reputation of a violent autocrat. —Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026

While looking for the vehicle in the roundabout nearby, the officer noticed the BMW was in a canal on the north side of Loxahatchee Road. —Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026

Noun

The redesign will add a traffic signal, modify the roundabout, and build an underpass connecting Dillon Dam Road to the Frisco commercial area, allowing drivers to move across town without sitting in congestion. —Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026

The Monument to Emperor Cuauhtémoc statue located on the second roundabout on Paseo de los Héroes is a close second. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 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