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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circuitous
The circuitous route is way more spectator-friendly than the Tour de France course.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2025
The program has also long suffered from poor on-time performance and circuitous routing.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
Resilience is taking a much longer, more circuitous route to the moon; the Japanese lander isn't expected to reach lunar orbit until late May or early June.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The water then was pumped throughout the city via a circuitous network of huge pipes, many of them buried under Greenmount Avenue and York Road.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2025
The program has also long suffered from poor on-time performance and circuitous routing.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
Resilience is taking a much longer, more circuitous route to the moon; the Japanese lander isn't expected to reach lunar orbit until late May or early June.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2025
The water then was pumped throughout the city via a circuitous network of huge pipes, many of them buried under Greenmount Avenue and York Road.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
Adjective
-
This is all just a roundabout way of saying that Playhouse was, in a sense, music to my ears — a dog whistle that snapped me to attention.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
24 May 2025
-
Weak track record Wary of backlash from their constituents, Republicans have agreed on a strategy that would largely cut Medicaid spending in a roundabout way.—
Jane Tavares,
The Conversation,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Refine your key points to be clear and concise—no rambling monologues.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
While the animals couldn’t communicate to confirm whether the technology was working, their behaviors and physiology provided indirect clues to the team.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 May 2025
-
For one, there’s the notion of indirect value, which is hard to quantify for software providers that aren’t in the business of sales enablement solutions.—
Chris Mele,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Reviewers have noted how smoothly the shuttle descends, gliding down on a circular trajectory and gently touching down.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
-
In 2023, the country held its first Bangladesh Circular Economy Summit, gathering stakeholders from the South Asian nation along with global brands and governmental representatives to work toward a more circular garment industry.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share