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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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circuitous
Then, of course, what ensues is clearly a very circuitous path to righteousness.
—
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025
It’s been nearly a year since Columbia closed the portion of 116th that cuts through its campus, forcing everyone without a school ID to do this kind of circuitous rerouting.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 24 Feb. 2025
My patient’s path from prison to hospital, for instance, had been long and circuitous.
—Pria Anand, TIME, 18 Feb. 2025
Global shipping routes can be circuitous, with goods frequently passing through various countries before entering the United States.
—Laura Gottesdiener and Stephen Eisenhammer, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025
It’s been nearly a year since Columbia closed the portion of 116th that cuts through its campus, forcing everyone without a school ID to do this kind of circuitous rerouting.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 24 Feb. 2025
My patient’s path from prison to hospital, for instance, had been long and circuitous.
—Pria Anand, TIME, 18 Feb. 2025
Global shipping routes can be circuitous, with goods frequently passing through various countries before entering the United States.
—Laura Gottesdiener and Stephen Eisenhammer, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
Adjective
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Cleveland’s trade of second baseman Andrés Giménez landed them, in a roundabout way, Ortiz, who emerged as a steady starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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In a roundabout way, one of the few things that could potentially stop Mbappe from smashing those individual records is precisely the calibre of player around him.—
Thom Harris,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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The White House cited national security concerns for terminating workers' ability to bargain collectively, but the order applies at agencies with both direct and indirect links to national security.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2025
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The conditions of Conway’s bond include a ban on direct or indirect contact with witnesses, victims and co-defendants in the case.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2025
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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The 250-cc bike gets bobber-like styling, with a floating seat, tubular frame, retro lighting, and a simple circular dash.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
22 Mar. 2025
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So this transition and opportunity for India to be a leader in low carbon more circular material production, is not just for the Indian marketplace.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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