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
Heavy equipment is engaged in building indirect line and improving contingency features.
—
Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Despite an advantage in name identification, Campa-Najjar’s losing record has weighed on Democrats’ minds and von Wilpert has made at least indirect references to that.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
Conventional cooling systems often rely on cold plates that offer indirect contact with battery cells, which can result in uneven temperature distribution.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
Broiler Basics & Heat Intensity Unlike conventional oven baking, which uses indirect heat, a broiler produces direct, concentrated heat from above—essentially like an upside-down grill inside your oven.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Despite an advantage in name identification, Campa-Najjar’s losing record has weighed on Democrats’ minds and von Wilpert has made at least indirect references to that.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
Conventional cooling systems often rely on cold plates that offer indirect contact with battery cells, which can result in uneven temperature distribution.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025
Broiler Basics & Heat Intensity Unlike conventional oven baking, which uses indirect heat, a broiler produces direct, concentrated heat from above—essentially like an upside-down grill inside your oven.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indirect
Adjective
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Fishers nixes plans for another Allisonville roundabout after crash spike at 96th Street circle Noblesville has dominated Indiana soccer for years.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
4 Sep. 2025
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As such, the networks aren’t on the hook for makegoods in the increasingly unlikely event of under-deliveries, which is a roundabout way of suggesting that the annual audience tallies are mostly of interest to PR types.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The most prominent features of the Cygnus cargo freighter are its circular, fan-like solar arrays and an aluminum cylinder called the pressurized cargo module that bears some resemblance to a keg of beer.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
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To clean your stainless steel pan after a night of cooking, simply pour off the excess grease or oil, then clean the pan with warm water and dish soap, using a sponge (our favorite is this Skura style sponge), moving in a continuous circular motion across the cooking surface.—
Emily Johnson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indirect. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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