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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Chambliss takes unlikely path to playoffs Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss took a circuitous route to the playoffs.
—
CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Mighty Ducks star, who has been open about his long and circuitous journey from addiction to sobriety, is among the many fans who grew concerned over a recent video of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide star Tylor Chase.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
The song may be six minutes long, but the circuitous lope of his acoustic-guitar strum and low throb of his warbling feel eternal, like the type of tune Sisyphus might have hummed to keep himself company.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Macaulay took a more circuitous career path in adulthood that includes stints as a musician.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
The Mighty Ducks star, who has been open about his long and circuitous journey from addiction to sobriety, is among the many fans who grew concerned over a recent video of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide star Tylor Chase.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
The song may be six minutes long, but the circuitous lope of his acoustic-guitar strum and low throb of his warbling feel eternal, like the type of tune Sisyphus might have hummed to keep himself company.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Macaulay took a more circuitous career path in adulthood that includes stints as a musician.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
Adjective
-
Little was responding to a question about using impact fees for the roundabout, district spokesperson Rachel Bjornestad said in an email.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
16 Jan. 2026
-
This is a roundabout way of saying no.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Also in the village, with lower prices, the June Lake Villager Motel is a rambling property beneath a vintage mid-century sign.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Her editor figured that Bainbridge could get away with a rambling, nostalgic performance.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Their clean collisions would allow more precise measurements of scattering amplitudes, making the FCC ultrasensitive to indirect signs of new physics.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Unemployment, in an indirect way, is another.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In 1949, a young American artist named Ray Johnson left Black Mountain College near Asheville, N.C., moved to New York City and began to explore his prolix talents, both visual and verbal.—
Roberta Smith,
New York Times,
30 May 2024
-
His answer is this book: a laudably sincere, exasperatingly prolix and occasionally affecting rumination on the state of Egypt—its society, culture, history and politics—pegged to the maddening bureaucracy of the archive.—
Kapil Komireddi,
WSJ,
12 Mar. 2023
Adjective
-
Done well, this would create a more circular music economy, reinvesting value back into the places where the creative work originates.—
Shain Shapiro,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
High-octane glamour is delivered by servers in glittering jumpsuits worthy of an Abba reunion and a huge circular amber bar, fashioned in the shape of an old whiskey tumbler found in the walls of Raffles Singapore during renovations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
