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
Nerdy scholars, tortuous tenure tracks and college campus rivalry abounds.
—
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
Sharks with lower energy reserves, in contrast, exhibited more tortuous or localized movements, likely reflecting a strategy constrained by limited metabolic capacity.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Their adoption follows tortuous negotiations with the powerful governors of Nigeria’s 36 states, hundreds of legislators and labor union leaders.
—Nduka Orjinmo, Bloomberg, 2 Jan. 2026
In phantom endovascular models, the robot successfully navigated through tortuous vessel-like structures, demonstrating the technique’s potential for minimally invasive vascular interventions.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tortuous
Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
Sharks with lower energy reserves, in contrast, exhibited more tortuous or localized movements, likely reflecting a strategy constrained by limited metabolic capacity.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Their adoption follows tortuous negotiations with the powerful governors of Nigeria’s 36 states, hundreds of legislators and labor union leaders.
—Nduka Orjinmo, Bloomberg, 2 Jan. 2026
In phantom endovascular models, the robot successfully navigated through tortuous vessel-like structures, demonstrating the technique’s potential for minimally invasive vascular interventions.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tortuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortuous
Adjective
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Navigating the loss of a friend can be a long and winding journey.—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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End your drive at Mount Lemmon Ski Area, the southernmost ski resort in the U.S. Just northeast of Tucson, Arizona, the two-lane asphalt of the Sky Island Scenic Byway (also known as the Catalina Highway) carves a winding path up into the rugged Santa Catalina Mountains.—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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Taubman Museum of Art Located in a spectacular curved steel and glass building designed by a protégé of Frank Gehry, Taubman Museum of Art celebrates its 75th year in 2026.—
Julekha Dash,
Travel + Leisure,
6 June 2026
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While curved silhouettes may have taken a temporary backseat to the clean lines and sharp angles popularized by modern, industrial, and farmhouse interiors, rounded tables never truly disappeared.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Supposedly the poem was inspired by a peyote-vision where the edifice of San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel was transformed into a hideous, twisted, demonic visage, which inspired the beating heart of Howl’s second section.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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Imagine that an esteemed journalist published a book profiling a real-life vampire, and then that vampire’s twisted soulmate—also a vampire—started a rock band.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Like a vibrantly hued snake darting down the narrow branch of a tree, the collective of high-performance automobiles rapidly navigates the narrow, serpentine artery along the Northeastern Italian coast, a quicksilver-like tracing of the border between Il Bel Paese and Slovenia.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
11 May 2026
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The Comeback never got any nominations in the supporting categories, but Andrew Scott could pull some attention as the show’s serpentine tech-bro CEO.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tortuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortuous. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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