circuitous

adjective

(ˌ)sər-ˈkyü-ə-təs How to pronounce circuitous (audio)
Definition of circuitousnext
1
as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct we took a circuitous route to the airport so as to avoid the massive traffic jam on the highway

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2
as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea a circuitous explanation for what seems like a fairly basic concept

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circuitous In addition to their unmistakable physical resemblance to each other, there are similarities between Bourdain’s and Sessa’s circuitous lives. — Ok McCausland, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 July 2026 Skeletons began production last month, and Fracassi took to Instagram to celebrate the occasion after the project’s circuitous path. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 20 July 2026 Bernthal rebelled against the affluence of his upbringing from an early age and charted a more circuitous path to success than his two brothers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 July 2026 For example, one Iranian tanker tracked by Windward is traveling a circuitous path, loading Iranian crude at Kharg Island – Iran’s main oil hub – and routing through Iraq’s Basrah Oil Terminal before continuing on to its destination to China. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
  1. roundabout
  2. rambling
  3. indirect
  4. prolix
  5. circular
Adjective
  • FullGood began with a mission to bring a vision of Americana to China’s streets—almost like Mitsuoka in Japan—though the company has had to approach that in a rather roundabout way due to the law.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Their glorious half century was brought to an end in a roundabout way by a thin scale of soft metal about the size of an aspirin, found in a whitewater stream in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada on January 24, 1848.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 July 2026
Definition of roundabout
Adjective
  • Even her supporters glance askance at one another during her rambling entreaties.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The chaotic hearing was marked by Castro-Arroyo rambling and frequently interrupting Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Ellen Sue Venzer as an interpreter translated the proceeding.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • In ordinary tax terminology, income, property, and estate taxes are often described as direct taxes, while sales, excise, and customs duties are generally characterized as indirect taxes.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, above-average tropical activity in the eastern Pacific increases the likelihood of indirect impacts to the southwestern United States, such as sending more rain to the region and more frequent flash flood concerns.
    — Dan Peck, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of indirect
Adjective
  • Even the blandest overtures can whip him into a frantic, pornographic, prolix ecstasy.
    — Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The album is a concise, 10-song set, a deliberate contrast to prolix streaming-era albums like the ones released lately by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
    — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 17 May 2024
Definition of prolix
Adjective
  • Law likes Bobby’s dye pattern, but Willy and Heidi both think the dress’s baggy, circular shape is unflattering.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The fashion industry is facing new expectations around circular design, lifestyle accountability, and compliance, meaning that the next generation of designers and fashion professionals will need to prepare.
    — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of circular

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circuitously
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Cite this Entry

“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of circuitous for Spanish Speakers

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