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
Its leaders have held parallel discussions with Iranian officials, while facilitating indirect communication between Washington and Tehran.
—
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
At the same time, authoritarian regimes across the region, including Iran, are enabled by and thrive on anti-imperial sentiments reanimated by America’s direct and indirect military power.
—Mehrnoush Soroush, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The water used for cooling is considered direct water use, while water used to generate electricity is indirect water use.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 27 Mar. 2026
While other parts of the food dollar — such as transporting, storing and preparing food — also rely on energy, those costs are more indirect and tend to show up more gradually in consumer prices, Ortega says.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
At the same time, authoritarian regimes across the region, including Iran, are enabled by and thrive on anti-imperial sentiments reanimated by America’s direct and indirect military power.
—Mehrnoush Soroush, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The water used for cooling is considered direct water use, while water used to generate electricity is indirect water use.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 27 Mar. 2026
While other parts of the food dollar — such as transporting, storing and preparing food — also rely on energy, those costs are more indirect and tend to show up more gradually in consumer prices, Ortega says.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indirect
Adjective
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An economic opening would be a roundabout way of getting to the end goal, one close Rubio friend told USA TODAY.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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The government arrived at that figure in a roundabout manner.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The robot includes a perception system with dual RGB and RGB-D cameras, optional 3D LiDAR, and a six-microphone circular array for voice interaction.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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The circular concrete structure stands in stark contrast to the rectangular steel-and-glass buildings that surround it.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indirect. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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