as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct
the cab driver took a very indirect route to the hotel a long-winded, indirect answer to a very simple question
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Recent Examples of indirect
Oil prices steadied, easing pressure on stocks, after the New York Times reported that Iran made indirect contact with the United States to discuss negotiations to end the conflict.
—
John Towfighi, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
To prevent leggy growth, be sure the plants get plenty of bright, indirect light and pinch off tips occasionally.
—Johanna Silver, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026
The loss of the Taiwanese market led to the closure of at least 95 shrimp farms and one processing plant, the loss of more than 25,000 direct and indirect jobs, and the loss of millions of dollars in foreign exchange for the Central American country, according to Amador.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
But the ex-food and energy inflation rate doesn't remove the indirect impact that higher crude prices have on other goods and services — most prominently, the cost of trucking and making plastics.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
John Towfighi, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
To prevent leggy growth, be sure the plants get plenty of bright, indirect light and pinch off tips occasionally.
—Johanna Silver, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026
The loss of the Taiwanese market led to the closure of at least 95 shrimp farms and one processing plant, the loss of more than 25,000 direct and indirect jobs, and the loss of millions of dollars in foreign exchange for the Central American country, according to Amador.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
But the ex-food and energy inflation rate doesn't remove the indirect impact that higher crude prices have on other goods and services — most prominently, the cost of trucking and making plastics.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indirect
Adjective
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Another video showed people in the Iranian town of Galleh Dar toppling a monument dedicated to Khamenei’s predecessor and founder of the Islamic Republic, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as flames rose from the roundabout and onlookers cheered.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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The night before, hundreds of miles away in Galleh Dar, a town in rural southwestern Iran, flames rose from a roundabout and onlookers cheered as crowds toppled a monument dedicated to the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The project’s ultimate blueprint calls for a massive, kilometer-wide circular power station in geostationary orbit, 36,000 kilometers (22,370 miles) above Earth.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
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Begin by dusting the furniture, and then apply a small amount of coconut oil with a clean, dry cloth using a circular motion.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indirect. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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