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
But the mission here was quantity and finding players who can immediately provide direct or indirect support for Malik Willis.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
But Iran’s foreign ministry said any talks would be indirect and Pakistani officials would convey messages.
—Munir Ahmed, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Cal and Stanford laid quasi-claim to two of the top two selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, although the connection was indirect and somewhat bittersweet in both cases.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Direct contact — or indirect contact through a pet, shoes or smoke inhalation — can cause allergic dermatitis.
—Eva Flowe
april 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
But Iran’s foreign ministry said any talks would be indirect and Pakistani officials would convey messages.
—Munir Ahmed, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Cal and Stanford laid quasi-claim to two of the top two selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, although the connection was indirect and somewhat bittersweet in both cases.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Direct contact — or indirect contact through a pet, shoes or smoke inhalation — can cause allergic dermatitis.
—Eva Flowe
april 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for indirect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indirect
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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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
“Indirect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indirect. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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