as in winding
marked by a long series of irregular curves
a tortuous mountain road marked by numerous hairpin turns
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Recent Examples of tortuous
Egyptian hieroglyphics gave rise to a number of true alphabets, Latin included, through a tortuous procession of descendants.
—
Longreads, 1 July 2025
Then into motorboats for hair-raising dashes through tortuous canals and across rough water to dams far back in some vast marsh.
—Nash Buckingham, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2025
Rainy days aren’t much better, and the summers are quickly becoming just as tortuous.
—Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2025
All this took place against the backdrop of a tortuous revamping of the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade into a stronger World Trade Organization.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortuous
Longreads, 1 July 2025
Then into motorboats for hair-raising dashes through tortuous canals and across rough water to dams far back in some vast marsh.
—Nash Buckingham, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2025
Rainy days aren’t much better, and the summers are quickly becoming just as tortuous.
—Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2025
All this took place against the backdrop of a tortuous revamping of the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade into a stronger World Trade Organization.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortuous
Adjective
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In Copenhagen, cyclists glide past copper spires and winding canals—cinnamon pastries in hand.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Rancho Santa Fe’s semi-rural character, with its many winding corridors and narrow or non-existent bike lanes, adds challenges for the mix of users that includes drivers, cyclists and equestrians.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sophie's gun — which was an impulse buy just a few days prior — was eventually found and identified as the weapon that killed Abby. Sophie's quest to vindicate herself then leads to the unraveling of dark secrets, sketchy relationships, twisted small-town politics and more.—
Brianne Tracy,
People.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Good Boy, by Jan Komasa, a twisted thriller about freedom and identity, starring Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Anson Boon.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The serpentine letterforms seen across the collection, for example, nod to Ireland’s calligraphic heritage.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
25 July 2025
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Depicted is a serpentine landscape where the heroic raid took place.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tortuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortuous. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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