circuitous

adjective

(ˌ)sər-ˈkyü-ə-təs How to pronounce circuitous (audio)
Definition of circuitousnext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circuitous Congress is again trying to reauthorize funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, or GLRI, but this year's effort has taken a circuitous route. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026 While the likes of Ndiaye and Allan have moved countries or even continents, Azeez has taken a circuitous route around London and several of its surrounding towns before signing for south-coast side Brighton & Hove Albion. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 BepiColombo launched in October 2018 and took a long, looping and highly circuitous route toward Mercury our solar system's innermost planet. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Stephen Hunt, chief development officer for VRT, told the council that virtually every rider complaint from long waits at the Senior Center to circuitous routes traced back to a lack of funding rather than mismanagement. — Noah Daly august 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuitous
  1. roundabout
  2. rambling
  3. indirect
  4. prolix
  5. circular
Adjective
  • Google’s statement is essentially a roundabout way of confirming that Workspace and Photos data may inform ads.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In a roundabout fashion, Fielder and Oppenheim became the filmmakers charged with the task.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of roundabout
Adjective
  • Dylan Young and his Melbourne group fill their third album with winsome and warm tracks whose best moments combine rambling guitars with tales of bruising regret.
    — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
  • After the event was disrupted by an armed intruder, the Administration and the association scheduled a July do-over, where Trump delivered a rambling speech indulging seemingly every tangent that sprang to mind, but his contempt remained apparent.
    — Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • If tiny primordial black holes can split, their potential signatures might offer an indirect way to investigate the process.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In an indirect prompt injection, an attacker hides instructions in content an AI agent will come across while doing a task—a web page or a forum post, for instance—hoping to hijack the agent.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of indirect
Adjective
  • Even the blandest overtures can whip him into a frantic, pornographic, prolix ecstasy.
    — Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The album is a concise, 10-song set, a deliberate contrast to prolix streaming-era albums like the ones released lately by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
    — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 17 May 2024
Definition of prolix
Adjective
  • The incident was largely forgotten until the last few days, when a farmer in rural Minnesota discovered a circular metal object about 11 feet in diameter lay amid the forest of corn stalks.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The ongoing discussion around circular VAT in the EU is a potential opportunity.
    — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of circular

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circuitous
circuitously
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Cite this Entry

“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuitous. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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