as in indirect
not straightforward or direct
took a roundabout route to the beach
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in underpass
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roundabout
Annie Nova, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2024
In a roundabout way, Taylor’s explanation of those back-to-back runs for no gain also represents a team that’s seen no gain.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
On a roundabout near the house where Lopetegui’s father, now 93, lives, flies the Basque ‘Ikurrina’ flag, with its white and green crosses on a red field.
—Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roundabout 
Adjective
Republican attorneys general in Kansas and Missouri, who led the legal challenges against SAVE, argue that President Joe Biden is essentially trying to find a roundabout way to forgive student debt after the Supreme Court blocked his sweeping debt cancellation plan in June 2023.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2024
In a roundabout way, Taylor’s explanation of those back-to-back runs for no gain also represents a team that’s seen no gain.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Noun
What’s at stake: Wisconsinites have seen five referendum questions this year, all placed on the ballot by Republicans as a roundabout to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ veto.
—USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
On a roundabout near the house where Lopetegui’s father, now 93, lives, flies the Basque ‘Ikurrina’ flag, with its white and green crosses on a red field.
—Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roundabout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roundabout
Adjective
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The deal comes after weeks of a number of intensive rounds of indirect negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha between Israel and Hamas, mediated by facilitators from U.S., Egypt and Qatar.—
Michele Kelemen,
NPR,
15 Jan. 2025
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This occurs when a high percentage of people in a community have developed immunity, ensuring that future outbreaks affect fewer individuals and are quickly contained. Humans, of course, are not the only species that benefits from the direct and indirect protections of vaccines.—
Simon F. Haeder,
The Conversation,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Roman drivers finally got some relief on Monday when, after 450 days of traffic chaos and unprintable curses, a ribbon-cutting ceremony heralded the opening of an underpass along the Tiber River near the Vatican that immediately cleared traffic from what is now Rome’s largest pedestrian area.—
Elisabetta Povoledo,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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When night fell, the underpass transformed into an open-air nightclub.—
María Magdalena Arréllaga,
New York Times,
31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The lounge is done with a circular bronze and quartzite bar top and blue leather stools.—
John Mariani,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Legendary Glow Colour Balm in a circular placement on the apples of the cheeks for a doll-like look.—
Claire Sullivan,
WWD,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Aleman placed the roses on a conveyor belt, advancing them to a rotary saw that cut their stems.—
Thomas Curwen,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
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Between the front passengers, there’s a floating centre console with climate control rotary dials and two cupholders beneath.—
Trinity Francis,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In retaliation for a tribal revolt in Libya in August 2015, ISIS fighters killed dozens of members of the tribe, crucifying several of them in a traffic circle—a punishment familiar to anyone following the group’s parade of horrors in Iraq and Syria.—
Daniel Byman,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Mar. 2016
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The protests on Monday night appeared to have been sparked after footage, verified by NBC News, showed hooded figures setting fire to the tree at a traffic circle in the Christian-majority town of Al-Suqalabiyah near the city of Hama in central Syria on Monday.—
Ammar Cheikh Omar,
NBC News,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Andrew Greif Washington takes the lead, 10-7, after a long and winding drive lasting 11 plays, 78 yards and full of drama.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC News,
19 Jan. 2025
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The film represented a major step on what turned out to be a long and winding road to his ultimate cinematic self-reinvention.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The warning is in effect until 6 a.m. MST Sunday, with slick and hazardous road conditions anticipated, especially on bridges and overpasses.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
12 Jan. 2025
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Driving conditions could be hazardous, especially on bridges and overpasses, according to the National Weather Service Fort Worth.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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However, interchange fees can be managed to reduce them greatly.—
Robert Day,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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The plan includes the addition of a lane in each direction within a 4.5-mile work zone and will convert the Loop 101 interchange at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard into a diamond configuration to improve traffic flow.—
Karen Bartunek,
The Arizona Republic,
31 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near roundabout
Cite this Entry
“Roundabout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roundabout. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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