as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
the studio's statement that "the film's earnings did not live up to expectations" was a circumlocutory admission that the movie was a flop
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumlocutory
Adjective
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Despite this rambling semi-introduction, Newman’s film makes quick work of all of this, recognizing that getting to the Tova-and-Cameron show (with, of course, many guest appearances by Marcellus) is the entire point of the picture.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026 -
Mardi is a rambling story, and reviewers were not kind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even the blandest overtures can whip him into a frantic, pornographic, prolix ecstasy.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2026
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Ronald, who with his shock of white hair and prolix tendencies comes off like a frazzled professor, keeps to a more limited circuit writing out of his house and his office.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Teaching first grade has always involved dealing with wiggly and talkative kids.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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This story was not supposed to begin in Zagreb, but then a talkative five-year-old named Oliver showed up at my lunch table.—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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To that, the verbose CEO pumped up HBO and streamer HBO Max as the real crown jewels in the WBD empire.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
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Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 bears his recognizable fast-paced, verbose style and features an almost impossibly starry ensemble cast.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Nathan learned about the fate of a great-aunt, who was confined at Theresienstadt, and her grandson, who by a circuitous, ultimately tragic path is remembered by Catholics as a martyr.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
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Travel through the area can get circuitous for drivers as so many area streets are one-way and the area is heavily used by pedestrians.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Others, pointing to the younger age profile of some Gaeltacht communities and the modest growth of urban Irish-speaking households, call predictions of the imminent demise of the language greatly exaggerated.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 May 2026
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That moment, however, didn’t come without criticism, and Seymour still remembers the sharp commentary that came as a result of the exaggerated hairstyle.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Legal opinions tend to be dry, wordy, and intentionally vague.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
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Conrad is full of wordy comic dialogue that often sings in its idiosyncrasy but also elicits little more than a chuckle.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Circumlocutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumlocutory. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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