roundabout

1 of 2

adjective

round·​about ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t How to pronounce roundabout (audio)
: circuitous, indirect
had to take a roundabout route
roundaboutness noun

roundabout

2 of 2

noun

1
: a circuitous route : detour
2
British : merry-go-round
3
: a short close-fitting jacket worn by men and boys especially in the 19th century
4

Examples of roundabout in a Sentence

Adjective He took a roundabout route to town. In a roundabout way, he told me that my help was not wanted.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
This is a roundabout way of putting the present’s ultimate compliment: that the artist is one of us. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024 That presented an interesting challenge for Abrams, who managed to find varying levels within his minutes-long, roundabout monologues (often delivered under duress). Katcy Stephan, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024
Noun
New roundabouts and other road projects are taking shape in Carmel. Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Nov. 2024 Jeremy Cashman, Carmel's chief infrastructure officer, said his department measured the speeds of vehicles entering and exiting roundabouts throughout the city. Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for roundabout 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1608, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of roundabout was in 1608

Dictionary Entries Near roundabout

Cite this Entry

“Roundabout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roundabout. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

roundabout

adjective
round·​about
ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t
: not direct
went a roundabout way

More from Merriam-Webster on roundabout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!