as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct
a rather circular discussion of the problem that never addresses it directly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in booklet
a short printed publication with no cover or with a paper cover
promptly tosses out those advertising circulars that come in the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circular
Hannah Malach, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026
As Europe’s largest circular apparel hub, processing some 45,000 items a week, ACS needed real-time visibility for its various garment lifecycle management processes, across resale, rental, refurbishment and repair.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 26 Jan. 2026
Christopher Tremoglie, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
Though Gaudí’s fund-raising circular had specified the cross’s appearance, and the model in the warehouse had survived, how to actually build it and which materials to use had been up to Faulí and his team.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circular
Adjective
Kate kept on her gold earrings and rings in the water, while Lila accessorized with circular sunnies, hoops, and a stack of necklaces.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026
As Europe’s largest circular apparel hub, processing some 45,000 items a week, ACS needed real-time visibility for its various garment lifecycle management processes, across resale, rental, refurbishment and repair.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
The circular included a QR code to scan for those interested in joining.
—Christopher Tremoglie, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
Though Gaudí’s fund-raising circular had specified the cross’s appearance, and the model in the warehouse had survived, how to actually build it and which materials to use had been up to Faulí and his team.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circular
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
Noun
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The filing brings to an end an unusual saga that shocked Georgia’s political world after cameras captured Durand enter the PSC hearing room during a recess before taking the booklet from the commission’s downtown Atlanta offices.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The little booklet is a tactile respite in the age of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it video tutorials made more to serve the algorithm than actually educate.—
Kristina Rodulfo,
Vogue,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
Noun
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This guide explores the critical factors defining top-tier clinics in Mexico, moving beyond marketing brochures to examine the medical realities of modern hair transplantation.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
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The Fetch name has been largely scrubbed from Zebra’s branding of the AMR division in the years since the deal, and was not included in the company’s AMR portfolio brochure released earlier this year.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
As engines fire up and boots crunch on gravel, the men try to press leaflets into gloved hands.—
William Wilkes,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Others on the scene handed out water bottles and leaflets.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Knowing this, Liotta, an amateur genealogist, decided to take on the mystery of the folder and try to find its rightful owner.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
18 Jan. 2026
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The malware installs itself inside a folder that mimics a Microsoft Edge cache directory.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Last year when business was slow in the restaurant industry, Franks promoted business the old fashioned way personally handing out flyers to hundreds of people at Connecticut summer events.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
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Legroom allotments have been steadily decreasing over the years in order for airlines to boost profits, despite the complaints of fliers.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After the election of a neofascist politician named Derek Beackon to the local council in 1993, the LPA released a pamphlet with the headline nazi occultists seize omphalos.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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While the photos on the pamphlets are anodyne—cheerful workers on assembly lines—the text offers a dire warning of looming job cuts, accusing Germany’s traditional unions of selling out workers.—
William Wilkes,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circular. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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