as in indirect
not straightforward or direct
took a roundabout route to the beach
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in underpass
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roundabout
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Aya Batrawy, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
During that time, a new roundabout was built at 167th Street, which is now open to traffic.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roundabout
Adjective
In a strange roundabout way, Mendenhall put America on the metric system.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
Relics like the more than century-old Greek Club's veranda that overlooks a roundabout with a bronze statue of Talaat Harb, who championed Egyptian economic independence from foreign influence.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
During that time, a new roundabout was built at 167th Street, which is now open to traffic.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for roundabout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roundabout
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
Noun
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The crossing there is in a high-traffic area near downtown Vista with little room for an overpass or underpass.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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This incident comes just days after two out-of-state men were arrested for spray-painting antisemitic graffiti and swastikas on residential fences, an underpass and near businesses in Sterling Heights.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
23 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
-
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
Noun
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The advantage is slight; in typical mowing conditions, a rotary mower and a mulching mower perform equally well.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2026
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After first threatening to kill Hole, Barli instead jumps out of his fifth-floor balcony window, where he is impaled on an outdoor rotary clothes airer stationed in the garden below.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The site is currently a grassy traffic circle at the foot of Memorial Bridge.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The president also unveiled plans on Friday for an arch that would stand between the Lincoln Memorial in the east and Arlington National Cemetery toward the west and within a traffic circle connecting Washington with northern Virginia.—
Steven Sloan,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even the entrance is enveloping—a winding, sheltered, dark wooden path that smells like intense relaxation and essential oils.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Climb the 199 winding steps to the top, where you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and Cape May Point State Park.—
Carlianne Brennan,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Crews are currently building a second overpass over Agoura Road.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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When a car reaches an overpass, there’s some probability — call it x — that the car will take the down ramp instead of the overpass.—
Erica Klarreich,
Quanta Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Illinois Department of Transportation is closing nearly all ramps at the I-80-Chicago Street interchange in Joliet as part of their long-term renovation project along that highway.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The interchange and full Idaho 16 corridor are expected to open in 2027, according to ITD.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roundabout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roundabout. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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