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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Recent Examples of circuitous
Waldman was hired in 2015 to translate a manuscript that had already taken a circuitous route from Grade’s typewriter to the cluttered rooms of his Bronx apartment to the limbo of probate law.
—
Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
The circuitous route is way more spectator-friendly than the Tour de France course.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
The circuitous route is way more spectator-friendly than the Tour de France course.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
Adjective
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In a roundabout way, giving away Google's search tech could actually increase its influence.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
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So, in a roundabout way, the current economic storm is an unexpected boon for student loan borrowers.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 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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Lots of the companies on the Best Stocks in the Market list are direct or indirect beneficiaries of all this spend.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
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The latest indirect talks between Iran and the U.S., set for last Sunday, were canceled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 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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Guests descend several circular staircases into a network of chalk pits and galleries, parts of which date to the Gallo-Roman era.—
Rachel King,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Fashion for Good recently published an article that examines the environmental challenges of denim production and provides alternatives for more circular systems.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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