as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
the studio's statement that "the film's earnings did not live up to expectations" was a circumlocutory admission that the movie was a flop
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumlocutory
Adjective
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Thankfully, Babitz did exactly that — no rambling thoughts, petty accusations or amusing missives left unsaid.—
Michael Schaub,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026 -
Despite this rambling semi-introduction, Newman’s film makes quick work of all of this, recognizing that getting to the Tova-and-Cameron show (with, of course, many guest appearances by Marcellus) is the entire point of the picture.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 May 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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There’s a social, buzzy quality to this transit that thrives on movement and mental stimulation, which is why people may suddenly feel more talkative, distracted or eager to multitask.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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Teaching first grade has always involved dealing with wiggly and talkative kids.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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To that, the verbose CEO pumped up HBO and streamer HBO Max as the real crown jewels in the WBD empire.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
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Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 bears his recognizable fast-paced, verbose style and features an almost impossibly starry ensemble cast.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Nathan learned about the fate of a great-aunt, who was confined at Theresienstadt, and her grandson, who by a circuitous, ultimately tragic path is remembered by Catholics as a martyr.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
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Travel through the area can get circuitous for drivers as so many area streets are one-way and the area is heavily used by pedestrians.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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He is accompanied by the Cubans Piñera and Rodríguez Tomeu, who read fragments of poems in a flowery, exaggerated way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
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And Cannes was an exaggerated version.—
Derek Lawrence,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Legal opinions tend to be dry, wordy, and intentionally vague.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
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Conrad is full of wordy comic dialogue that often sings in its idiosyncrasy but also elicits little more than a chuckle.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Circumlocutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumlocutory. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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