1
as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct
we took a circuitous route to the airport so as to avoid the massive traffic jam on the highway
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2
as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
a circuitous explanation for what seems like a fairly basic concept
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Recent Examples of circuitous
The results of that sampling would arrive after a delayed and circuitous route — it was posted on a public server briefly and then later published — into the hands of Western scientists.
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Gabriel Spitzer, NPR, 19 Sep. 2024
Inspired by the legendary charm and elegance of such European capitals as Seville and Venice, Merrick stipulated the inclusion of circuitous byways, landscaped medians and luxuriant frondescence.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024
Aubrey played professional soccer with Toronto FC before joining the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions for two seasons on his circuitous route to the NFL.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 27 Sep. 2024
By any measure, Shane’s bold life and circuitous path to fame were anything but typical.
—Dan Allen, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for circuitous 
Gabriel Spitzer, NPR, 19 Sep. 2024
Inspired by the legendary charm and elegance of such European capitals as Seville and Venice, Merrick stipulated the inclusion of circuitous byways, landscaped medians and luxuriant frondescence.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024
Aubrey played professional soccer with Toronto FC before joining the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions for two seasons on his circuitous route to the NFL.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 27 Sep. 2024
By any measure, Shane’s bold life and circuitous path to fame were anything but typical.
—Dan Allen, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
Adjective
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Which is a roundabout way of saying that this Palace kit, which looks like the art project of a student who has been encouraged far beyond their talent and needs someone to tell them ‘no’ once in a while, is great.Nick Miller, The Athletic, 12 Aug. 2024
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This is a roundabout way of putting the present’s ultimate compliment: that the artist is one of us.Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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His statement came a day after the release of the Netflix series, which takes viewers back to the morning after Christmas 28 years ago, when JonBenét’s mother called 911 to report finding a rambling ransom note and her daughter missing.Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024
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There is more than 178 feet of beach and ocean frontage, which can be accessed via a rambling wooden staircase.Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Aleksandra Bal covers indirect tax and technology developments.Aleksandra Bal, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
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Helping those who help others: The roles of indirect reciprocity and relatedness Research Gate.Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Words, including those of artists themselves—as prolix in their way as critics, curators, and historians—can serve vision but can also deflect from it.Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
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In 1949, a young American artist named Ray Johnson left Black Mountain College near Asheville, N.C., moved to New York City and began to explore his prolix talents, both visual and verbal.Roberta Smith, New York Times, 30 May 2024
Adjective
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Guests are greeted by a circular driveway with a fountain at the center.Claudia Williams, Architectural Digest, 12 Dec. 2024
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Roughly halfway between Hawai’i and American Samoa, Palmyra Atoll forms a circular chain of about 26 small islets surrounded by multiple lagoons and bordered by 15,000 acres of shallow and deeper reefs.Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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