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
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Recent Examples of circuitous
The program has also long suffered from poor on-time performance and circuitous routing.
—
Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
Resilience is taking a much longer, more circuitous route to the moon; the Japanese lander isn't expected to reach lunar orbit until late May or early June.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The water then was pumped throughout the city via a circuitous network of huge pipes, many of them buried under Greenmount Avenue and York Road.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025
Although the company's rocket factory in Florida is only a few miles from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, because of the rocket and transporter's size, the procession had to follow a more circuitous route.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
Resilience is taking a much longer, more circuitous route to the moon; the Japanese lander isn't expected to reach lunar orbit until late May or early June.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The water then was pumped throughout the city via a circuitous network of huge pipes, many of them buried under Greenmount Avenue and York Road.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025
Although the company's rocket factory in Florida is only a few miles from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, because of the rocket and transporter's size, the procession had to follow a more circuitous route.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
Adjective
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Weak track record Wary of backlash from their constituents, Republicans have agreed on a strategy that would largely cut Medicaid spending in a roundabout way.—
Jane Tavares,
The Conversation,
13 May 2025
-
Looking back, Lia recalls one of the biggest challenges of that New York shoot was, in a roundabout way, Taylor Swift.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Refine your key points to be clear and concise—no rambling monologues.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Cook over indirect heat: Make sure there are no flames directly beneath the food.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
15 May 2025
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Little has come of new indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas led by Trump’s envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Words, including those of artists themselves—as prolix in their way as critics, curators, and historians—can serve vision but can also deflect from it.—
Barry Schwabsky,
ARTnews.com,
3 Sep. 2019
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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
Adjective
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Add egg mixture, and cook, stirring gently and scraping bottom of skillet in a circular motion using a rubber spatula, until large curds begin to form and bare spots appear on bottom of skillet, about 45 seconds.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
11 May 2025
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Its monumental circular tower, the largest in the region, boasts ingenious features such as notches designed to pour hot date syrup on invaders.—
Natasha Amar,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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