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

Wide-open windows Space loitering, kidney bean paths, gravity assists, hyperbolic orbits and wide-open windows — enter the world of Jeffrey Parker, Chief Technology Officer at Advanced Space in Westminster, Colorado, the chief architect behind the ESCAPADE mission's roundabout road trip to Mars. —Leonard David, Space.com, 4 Jan. 2026

Now, the family is calling on the village to install traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps or a roundabout. —Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025

Noun

Costco would add one right-in/right-out turn on Idaho 55, another on Hill Road, and a new roundabout on Hill Road, the traffic analysis said. —Rose Evans january 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026

Planned improvements include new traffic signals, additional turn lanes, roundabouts, raised medians, and improved lighting, along with upgrades designed to better connect pedestrian and bicycle routes. —Christopher Harris, CBS News, 7 Jan. 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