1. byzantine, convoluted, involved, knotty, tangled, tortuous

highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious

Example Sentences:
'the Byzantine tax structure'
'Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship'
'convoluted legal language'
'convoluted reasoning'
'the plot was too involved'
'a knotty problem'
'got his way by labyrinthine maneuvering'
'Oh, what a tangled web we weave'
'tortuous legal procedures'
'tortuous negotiations lasting for months'

Synonyms

• byzantine
• convoluted
• involved
• knotty
• tangled

2. tortuous, twisting, twisty, voluminous, winding

marked by repeated turns and bends

Example Sentences:
'a tortuous road up the mountain'
'winding roads are full of surprises'
'had to steer the car down a twisty track'

Synonyms

• twisting
• twisty
• voluminous
• winding

3. tortuous

not straightforward

Example Sentences:
'his tortuous reasoning'