as in circus
a place of uproar or confusion
the house has been a three-ring circus ever since the kids got back from summer camp
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Recent Examples of three-ring circus
The song uses a three-ring circus to explain the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
—
Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 12 Feb. 2025
The other is an unranked unicorn, most at home in the middle ring of a three-ring circus.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
As real estate agent Greg, Matt Rogers makes for a delightful ringmaster of this three-ring circus.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024
The chords and harmonies of Williams' music sound similar to the poppy anthems of that cinematic three-ring circus, and the choreography team of Ashley Wallen and Jenny Griffin reunite with Gracey to contextualize Williams' worldwide hits with new dance numbers.
—EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for three-ring circus
Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 12 Feb. 2025
The other is an unranked unicorn, most at home in the middle ring of a three-ring circus.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
As real estate agent Greg, Matt Rogers makes for a delightful ringmaster of this three-ring circus.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024
The chords and harmonies of Williams' music sound similar to the poppy anthems of that cinematic three-ring circus, and the choreography team of Ashley Wallen and Jenny Griffin reunite with Gracey to contextualize Williams' worldwide hits with new dance numbers.
—EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for three-ring circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for three-ring circus
Noun
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Love Story also does a great job of conveying the gravitational pull of the Kennedy family and the media circus that surrounded them.—
Claudia Williams,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
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At this point, every crew member helping with service is standing in the galley, waiting to take up a plate, which only adds to the circus.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the fourth quarter, Soldier Field was an absolute madhouse with 60,000-plus waving towels, chewing fingernails, frothing at the mouth and … grating cheese?—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
11 Jan. 2026
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Instead of the orgiastic madhouse that fans of Monster and American Horror Story have grown accustomed to, Devil in Disguise is a somber affair, as aesthetically chilly as a December in Des Plaines, Illinois.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Cue bedlam as the momentum swung decisively Wrexham’s way in a title race that had seen both teams already reach 100 points.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Another centered on a teenage girl (Chloë Sevigny doppelgänger Emma Halleen), whose insecurities blind her to a life that is, on its surface, pretty good, finds a palpable sadness within the bedlam of the show.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Three-ring circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/three-ring%20circus. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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