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
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
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
For his role in the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which came out in 2000, Jim Carrey’s tortuous costume and makeup had him on the verge of walking away from a $20 million paycheck.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
Another machinery noise reducer involves cutting out the gurgling of flowing liquids by using special pipes that send the fluids on a tortuous path that minimizes turbulence.
—New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortuous
Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 19 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
For his role in the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which came out in 2000, Jim Carrey’s tortuous costume and makeup had him on the verge of walking away from a $20 million paycheck.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
Another machinery noise reducer involves cutting out the gurgling of flowing liquids by using special pipes that send the fluids on a tortuous path that minimizes turbulence.
—New Atlas, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tortuous
Adjective
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Despite the gravitational pull that's a sixth of the Earth's, the acceleration, pitches, and tilts of the rover should swing the winding rotor, if with less torque and efficiency than on Earth.—
Tim Barber,
Wired News,
14 Apr. 2026
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From there, a winding stone path leads through a scatter of sugarcube villas draped in hibiscus and oleander, each angled for privacy and interrupted only by monumental contemporary sculptures.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The main level includes a grand foyer, according to its listing, with a curved staircase, a front parlor with pocket doors, a formal dining room and a renovated kitchen with soapstone counters, wine fridge and a sitting area with a warming stove.—
Kaitlyn Keegan,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
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The curved heel has become a signature detail in the singer’s shoe designs as of late and gives her shoes a modern edge, as opposed to the traditional slim stiletto heel.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These twisted brick can be used as a decorative cap to garden wall.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
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Kirill Kaprizov corralled a puck in the offensive zone, unleashed a twisted wrist shot on net, and somehow fit the puck into a sliver of space top shelf.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The park flanks a tiny stretch of Table Rock Lake, a serpentine reservoir with more than 745 miles of shoreline.—
Julia Sayers Gokhale,
Midwest Living,
17 Apr. 2026
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The structures and cash flow of these organizations — which operate on both sides of the political aisle — have taken on a new level of complexity, even for the already serpentine world of campaign giving.—
Gabe Kaminsky,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tortuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tortuous. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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