as in roundabout
not straightforward or direct
the cab driver took a very indirect route to the hotel a long-winded, indirect answer to a very simple question
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Recent Examples of indirect
Nadejda expands on the problem, noting the mounting indirect losses that AIT causes.
—
Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
Aloe is an easy-care plant that needs bright, indirect sunlight and very little else from you to thrive.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2025
Like most large language models, Google’s Gemini AI is susceptible to what are known as indirect prompt injection attacks.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Even the indirect reference to the economy’s troubles is unusual in an address from Mr. Xi, who uses these annual speeches to trumpet the government’s accomplishments over the previous year.
—Daisuke Wakabayashi, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for indirect 
Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
Aloe is an easy-care plant that needs bright, indirect sunlight and very little else from you to thrive.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2025
Like most large language models, Google’s Gemini AI is susceptible to what are known as indirect prompt injection attacks.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
Even the indirect reference to the economy’s troubles is unusual in an address from Mr. Xi, who uses these annual speeches to trumpet the government’s accomplishments over the previous year.
—Daisuke Wakabayashi, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for indirect
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Cite this Entry
“Indirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indirect. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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