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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The North Carolina folk-rock band’s quiet and rambling third album exists in a cloud of dreamy contemplation.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026 -
Trump’s speech was at times entertaining, rambling, repetitive, and combative.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
The fourth graders were talkative, but focused.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Your 4th House of Foundations gets talkative as intellectual Mercury enters, making chats about your space easier to plan and finish.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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Today hosts a gentle Moon-Chiron trine, empowering your friendly 11th house and your verbose 3rd house.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
Cherry took a circuitous route back to San Diego, moving to Phoenix for high school, then a junior college in New Mexico for two seasons, then UNLV in 2024-25, then Sacramento State last season.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Lizzy reflects on how their upbringing normalized bold, exaggerated aesthetics—from their mother's stage glamour to their father's own experimental looks.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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Laptop twee tries to pretend those simpler times are accessible, which makes for exaggerated, juvenile glee—a dishonest document of 2026, but a wildly appealing one.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Legal opinions tend to be dry, wordy, and intentionally vague.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
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 23 Apr. 2026.
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