as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct
a rather circular discussion of the problem that never addresses it directly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
Ceilings feature a huge gold circular cut-out in lieu of a chandelier that gives the rooms a space age feel.
—Ann Lee, TheWeek, 16 Feb. 2026
Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The circular included a QR code to scan for those interested in joining.
—Christopher Tremoglie, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circular
Adjective
With growing environmental pressures, engineers have lately been hard-pressed to develop circular approaches that use industrial CO₂ emissions to produce valuable chemicals.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
Ceilings feature a huge gold circular cut-out in lieu of a chandelier that gives the rooms a space age feel.
—Ann Lee, TheWeek, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
Several space observatories did watch the asteroid, according to an Oct. 2 update from the Minor Planet Center, which shares information quickly with the astronomy community through an electronic circular.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The circular included a QR code to scan for those interested in joining.
—Christopher Tremoglie, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circular
Adjective
-
And in some strange, roundabout way, the experience might wind up making USC and its star freshman much better in the long run.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
This monologue on housing theory was a roundabout way of explaining a photo of Censori with her mother, aunt, and sister, in which Censori looks like the daughter of a Real Housewife of New Jersey, with a clementine tan and leopard-print bustier.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Also included will be cover art featuring a work by Mark Rothko and a booklet including an essay from Rothenberg.—
Sam Byrd,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In addition to buying and assembling the new bikes to fit each student, Lions and volunteers also gave each student a bike lock, a safety instruction booklet, a tire pump, and a helmet.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Direct and indirect stock holdings, including mutual funds or retirement plans, accounted for an all-time high of 45% of households’ financial assets in the second quarter of 2025, according to Federal Reserve data.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation left for the Swiss city after the first round of indirect talks took place in Oman last week.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The brochure lists two suggested Bay Area base camps.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The building’s remaining retail tenants and 134 parking spaces bring in around $750,000 of income each year, according to a Cushman & Wakefield sales brochure prepared for the initial listing.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
An old office space on the former Tokyo Electron campus in Southeast Austin was filled with presentation boards and leaflets on the final, chilly Saturday of January as residents funneled through to try to learn about the future of their neighborhood.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The Cuban government said the planes had invaded their sovereign airspace following incidents in the preceding months in which Brothers to the Rescue planes had dropped political leaflets over Havana.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Agents are sandboxed and limited to specific folders or branches, with permission required for elevated actions such as network access.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
-
In creator group chats and Discords, screenshots of home screens show TikTok pushed into a side folder while UpScrolled moves to the dock.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The incident occurred just hours before dozens of flyers depicting former Prince Andrew were briefly scattered around the village of Dedham ahead of the royal visit, The Times reported.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
These hardside suitcases have earned stamps of approval from travel editors and frequent fliers for their longevity and ability to withstand rough handling—and prices start at $80.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The other side of it was the Sharia law pamphlet.—
Erin Jones,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The group passed out pamphlets for the Iran Novin Party, a conservative political party that was established in 2023.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circular. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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