1
as in ambiguity
deliberate evasion in speech
rather than answering the question directly, he resorted to circumlocution, which made her suspect that he was hiding something
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in repetition
the use of too many words to express an idea
your papers have to be five pages long, but that's five pages of substance, not circumlocution
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circumlocution
Their circumlocutions were as entrancing as their ability to find the most precisely ironic words for difficult-to-name realities.
—
Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
By condensing Balzac’s opus to a few paragraphs, Barthelme was having a laugh not just at his predecessor’s genteel circumlocution—his tendency to describe buildings and manufacturing procedures and family trees in lavish detail—but also at the conventions of novelistic mimesis itself.
—Giles Harvey, The New York Review of Books, 23 Apr. 2020
This year, House Republicans unveiled a new Conservative Climate Caucus that, in a fascinating circumlocution, sort of recognizes that fossil fuels are causing the planet to warm.
—Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2022
Powell’s statement yesterday (September 22) is the masterpiece of its type, building upon fifteen months of this playful circumlocution, downshifting into bureaucratic blandness.
—George Calhoun, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021
But the national crisis in policing and the response to it isn’t a matter of arid elite debate or familiar political circumlocution and compromise anymore.
—David Roth, The New Republic, 11 June 2020
These circumlocutions are meant to emphasize the fact that Africans traded like chattel were not, in their essence, slaves but human beings.
—Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, 25 Nov. 2019
Although incredibly popular, with 60% approval ratings, Ahok was considered by many to be a divisive figure, by virtue both of his minority status and of his bluntness, which ran counter to Javanese traditions of deference and circumlocution.
—The Economist, 12 Apr. 2018
Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Here, instead, she’s swayed by a dead Diana softly squeezing her hand and kindly hinting — the dead Diana is an ace at tactful circumlocution — that now is the time to show a mourning nation some emotion.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
By condensing Balzac’s opus to a few paragraphs, Barthelme was having a laugh not just at his predecessor’s genteel circumlocution—his tendency to describe buildings and manufacturing procedures and family trees in lavish detail—but also at the conventions of novelistic mimesis itself.
—Giles Harvey, The New York Review of Books, 23 Apr. 2020
This year, House Republicans unveiled a new Conservative Climate Caucus that, in a fascinating circumlocution, sort of recognizes that fossil fuels are causing the planet to warm.
—Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2022
Powell’s statement yesterday (September 22) is the masterpiece of its type, building upon fifteen months of this playful circumlocution, downshifting into bureaucratic blandness.
—George Calhoun, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021
But the national crisis in policing and the response to it isn’t a matter of arid elite debate or familiar political circumlocution and compromise anymore.
—David Roth, The New Republic, 11 June 2020
These circumlocutions are meant to emphasize the fact that Africans traded like chattel were not, in their essence, slaves but human beings.
—Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, 25 Nov. 2019
Although incredibly popular, with 60% approval ratings, Ahok was considered by many to be a divisive figure, by virtue both of his minority status and of his bluntness, which ran counter to Javanese traditions of deference and circumlocution.
—The Economist, 12 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumlocution
Noun
-
This framework not only aligns closely with other critical global standards but also underscores the need for professionals who are uniquely trained to navigate ambiguity, challenge assumptions and design with empathy.—
Guy Diedrich,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
A number of analysts argue that the latest NATO defense spending targets contain ambiguities that may skirt core commitments.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This way, the conversation can move toward repair instead of repetition.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Its gravity has collapsed beneath the weight of repetition and moral fatigue.—
Alaa Alqaisi
August 13,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
For example, the nuance of human locomotion sometimes gets lost in the generative shuffle, producing people who appear to walk backward.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Earlier this month, Broadnax proposed a $6.3 billion austerity budget that calls for a shuffle of police and firefighter staffing, a drawdown of money to help build affordable housing and the use of $14.1 million in reserves to offset limited property tax revenue.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
There should be no equivocation or the appearance of partiality.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
12 Dec. 2024
-
The false equivocation of men’s and women’s superficial concerns is the first time Song tips her hand.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
But Sieh is the standout, emitting a complex blend of sardonic acceptance, cynical verbosity and submerged emotional longing.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
-
Coogler can let his characters’ verbosity get the better of story momentum.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Until now, diffusion models have mostly been used in creative industries like advertising or by individuals exploring their artistic sides.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Various wavelengths are recorded to gather as much data as possible about the corona without the diffusion and light leakage caused by Earthbound observations.—
David Szondy
June 28,
New Atlas,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Just as the limitless space of web text tempts writers to indulge their logorrhea, the blinking, ever-transmuting, cartoonish interface of web browsers prevents would-be readers from paying attention to anything for longer than about 7 seconds.—
Barton Swaim,
WSJ,
19 Sep. 2022
-
Nor has Musk kept his Twitter logorrhea in check in other respects.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2022
Noun
-
On their website, the three yellow stripes are prominently featured on the website under the Black Lives Matter wordage, and used on their social media accounts.—
Amritpal Kaur Sandhu-Longoria,
USA TODAY,
29 Mar. 2023
-
Reached by the Union-Tribune Wednesday morning, Lindsey differed with McGillis’ wordage.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Circumlocution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumlocution. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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