roundabout

1 of 2

adjective

round·​about ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t 

: circuitous, indirect

had to take a roundabout route

roundaboutness noun

roundabout

2 of 2

noun

1

: a circuitous route : detour

2

British : merry-go-round

3

: a short close-fitting jacket worn by men and boys especially in the 19th century

4

: rotary sense 2

Synonyms

Adjective

• circuitous
• circular
• indirect

Examples of roundabout in a Sentence

Adjective

He took a roundabout route to town.

In a roundabout way, he told me that my help was not wanted.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

So in a roundabout way, there was a collective groan late Sunday night in Portland when Lillard crumpled to the floor like he had been shot in Milwaukee. —Jason Quick, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Listen to this article A massive project to transform historic Grand Avenue in Escondido into a new city hub is well underway, having already created wider sidewalks, new parking, a roundabout and other improvements along one block. —Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025

Noun

This year, there will be another busy construction season in Lake County, officials said, including reconstruction and resurfacing work across the county, and new roundabouts being installed at key intersections. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2025

In Hulu’s new show Deli Boys, there’s a roundabout nod to this discourse that speaks to the show’s biggest triumph. —Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1608, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for roundabout

• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout

Kids Definition

roundabout

adjective

round·​about

ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t

: not direct

went a roundabout way