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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 Rouse says the track came together in an unusually circuitous way. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026 Filmmakers Sarah Cooper and Conny Fridh began filming Mosley in 2018, a turning point in his long, circuitous career. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 30 July 2026 That circuitous email chain between homeowners and city officials, including an assistant city attorney, illustrates how homeowners have been stonewalled, Lardon said. — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
  1. roundabout
  2. rambling
  3. indirect
  4. prolix
  5. circular
Adjective
  • BepiColombo already has traveled more than 6 billion miles on its roundabout route, according to Martinez.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The county’s first roundabout, at the intersection of Tienken, Runyon and Washington roads on the Rochester/Rochester Hills border, was very controversial, Bryson recalled.
    — Susan Bromley, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of roundabout
Adjective
  • His public remarks are rambling and error-filled, and rely on a shrinking pool of vocabulary terms.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
  • But perhaps the hallmark of the interiors isn’t any object but the epic, rambling view of Los Angeles that unfurls beyond the restaurant’s windows.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • The sanctions aim to isolate the Islamic Republic from its remaining economic partners, including China, which buys more than 80% of Iranian oil shipments, usually through indirect channels.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The financial-services industry has always been an indirect and noisy prediction market for relatively narrow topics.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 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
  • The campaign highlights core values like transparency and traceability, in addition to environmental responsibility, circular-economy initiatives and ingredients.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • My father was the man of tricks, who sat for an hour mining a watermelon with a circular spoon, who carved the rind into a castle.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of circular

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circuit judges
circuitous
circuitously
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Cite this Entry

“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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