How to Use indirect in a Sentence

indirect

adjective
  • Looking at her watch was her indirect way of telling him it was time to leave.
  • These plants grow best in bright indirect light.
  • Poor nutrition may have been an indirect cause of the disease.
  • We took an indirect route.
  • The cigarette stubs were indirect evidence that someone had been smoking in the room.
  • He gave only vague, indirect answers to our questions.
  • There were many indirect references to his earlier books.
  • They used indirect methods of investigation.
  • Place the plank on the indirect-heat side of the grill.
    — Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2021
  • Put the pot in a warm area with bright, indirect light.
    — Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2024
  • Next, put the chicken, skin side down, on the indirect heat side of your grill.
    — Mackensy Lunsford, USA TODAY, 20 Aug. 2022
  • Set up the grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium.
    — Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
  • Keep your aloe plant in a spot with bright, indirect light.
    — Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 29 Apr. 2021
  • Manilow took that to be an indirect way of advising him not to do the same.
    — Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Jan. 2024
  • Place the stem in a cup in bright, indirect sunlight for about three weeks while the roots begin to grow.
    — Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024
  • Place the hoya in medium to bright indirect light for the best results.
    — Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2021
  • The indirect transfer of heat from the stove to the ceiling is convection.
    — Rhett Allain, WIRED, 25 Aug. 2023
  • Place steaks over the indirect flame (the grill temperature should be about 300°F) and cook the meat low and slow with the lid closed.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2023
  • In the indirect method, producers soak the beans in hot water for a few hours and then take them out.
    — Michael W. Crowder, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2024
  • To prolong the life of your blooms, place your Easter lily in bright, indirect light in a cool, but not drafty, spot in your home.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2024
  • The care couldn't be easier: bright indirect light and water on the dry side.
    — Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Dec. 2022
  • Place it in indirect to low light and fertilize it once or twice a year.
    — Christian Gollayan, Men's Health, 7 June 2022
  • During that third hour, fire up the grill and set it for indirect cooking.
    — Chuck Blount, San Antonio Express-News, 6 June 2022
  • Turn the pots often, so all sides of the plant can get some indirect sunlight and grow evenly.
    — Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 14 Apr. 2021
  • Flip dough and grill over indirect heat, then top as desired.
    — Joy Cho, Women's Health, 21 Aug. 2023
  • Set up grill for direct and indirect cooking and heat to medium- high.
    — Kate Merker, Country Living, 20 June 2021
  • The city raised up barriers that forced Black people to walk a long, indirect route to get there.
    — Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2022
  • Just make sure your plant gets plenty of bright, indirect light.
    — Mackenzie Nichols, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2022
  • The conditions of Conway’s bond include a ban on direct or indirect contact with witnesses, victims and co-defendants in the case.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Chinese automakers and parts manufacturers have been expanding sales around the world, but not in the United States, so any impact from the tariffs announcement would be an indirect one.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indirect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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