talking in circles
Never reaching conclusions
Talking in circles is speaking at length without reaching a point or conclusion, often repeating the same ideas in different words.
The phrase suggests going round and round without forward progress: We've been talking in circles for an hour and still haven't decided anything.
Sometimes used to describe evasive speech that deliberately avoids direct answers.
- circumlocutionIndirect, wordy expression
- indecisivenessFailure to commit
- beating around the bushAvoiding direct communication
- running in placeCardio without displacement
- ramblingLong-winded and unfocused
tautology · pleonasm · conversation · redundancy · meandering · tangentiality · digression · waffling · avoidance behavior · equivocation · miscommunication · dialogue · discussion · repetition · misunderstanding · missing the point · verbosity · hot air
- confusing actionsmisleading, misdirecting, obfuscating, muddling, garbling
- indirectnesscircumlocution, euphemism, hedging, hint, hinting
- evasionevasion, avoiding, avoids, evade, dodging
- stallingstall, stalling, delay, hesitate, procrastinate
talking in circlesgetting to the point
Stating the essence plainly
straight talk · cutting to the chase · telling it like it is · speaking frankly · calling a spade a spade
talking in circlescoming clean
Admitting wrongdoing honestly
candor · being honest · full disclosure · transparency · owning up
talking in circlesmaking a point
Communicating a specific stance
logical progression · making progress · connecting the dots · following through · making sense
talk, talks, talked, talker, talkers, talkative, talkatively, talkativeness, circle