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
Finally, in the Oaxacan field test, the team showed that predatory wasps use the airborne distress signals to find their prey, but the relative importance of direct leaf defenses versus this indirect wasp recruitment isn’t clear.
—
Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
Step 4 Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a gas grill, set one or two burners to low; for a charcoal grill, bank most of the coals on one side); lightly oil grate with vegetable oil.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2026
But certain connections to the state—if indirect ones, through its banks—were inevitable.
—Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
On the receiving end, this can feel particularly painful because the rejection is usually indirect.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
Step 4 Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a gas grill, set one or two burners to low; for a charcoal grill, bank most of the coals on one side); lightly oil grate with vegetable oil.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2026
But certain connections to the state—if indirect ones, through its banks—were inevitable.
—Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
On the receiving end, this can feel particularly painful because the rejection is usually indirect.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indirect
Adjective
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Without revealing too much, this structure from al-Mansour and co-writer Brad Niemann ends up having a roundabout reason too, given a bizarre third-act twist that renders moot the film’s entire point of view, along with its central themes.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
8 June 2026
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Cars and trucks piled into the roundabout, horns blaring.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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For centuries, Native American tribes lived in the area, growing crops and building earthlodges, a circular home of earth and wood that was the center of family life, housing multiple generations, according to the National Park Service.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Each leather chair has a circular blue sticker of the 2026 World Cup.—
Pete Grathoff
June 8,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indirect. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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