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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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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Recent Examples of circuitous
Several highways connecting the capital to the provinces have been damaged by floods and landslides, forcing travelers to take long, circuitous routes to reach Kabul, Public Works Ministry spokesman Ashraf Haqshinas said Saturday.
—
Abdul Qahar Afghan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
When asked if this characterization is correct, Griffin effectively answered yes, in a circuitous fashion.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of new lawsuits, led by Hursh, will follow the circuitous path left by Nida.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 31 Mar. 2026
To avoid closed or hazardous airspace, airlines are suspending routes or redrawing flight maps, sometimes following a more circuitous path.
—Andrea Sachs The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Abdul Qahar Afghan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
When asked if this characterization is correct, Griffin effectively answered yes, in a circuitous fashion.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of new lawsuits, led by Hursh, will follow the circuitous path left by Nida.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 31 Mar. 2026
To avoid closed or hazardous airspace, airlines are suspending routes or redrawing flight maps, sometimes following a more circuitous path.
—Andrea Sachs The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
Adjective
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Starting an expensive professional golf league was a roundabout way to launder the reputation of a violent autocrat.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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While looking for the vehicle in the roundabout nearby, the officer noticed the BMW was in a canal on the north side of Loxahatchee Road.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Mardi is a rambling story, and reviewers were not kind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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The rambling, low-slung building, containing 200 rooms, including 36 suites, is easy to get lost in.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Concerns about the independence of the CRTC have also been raised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in connection with indirect forms of influence such as perceptions of close ties between those serving on the commission, the industry, and industry law firms.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
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That indirect pathway is fundamentally constrained by thermodynamic limits, particularly the Carnot efficiency ceiling associated with heat engines, which restricts how much of the fuel’s energy can be converted into usable electricity.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even the blandest overtures can whip him into a frantic, pornographic, prolix ecstasy.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2026
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Ronald, who with his shock of white hair and prolix tendencies comes off like a frazzled professor, keeps to a more limited circuit writing out of his house and his office.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The remote remains unchanged, a simple black rectangle with a glossy circular navigation pad near the top.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
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Many had already spent much of the second half of 2025 treading water as concerns about the timeline for earnings from AI investments, plus seemingly circular financing arrangements, took hold.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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