fishbowl

noun

fish·​bowl ˈfish-ˌbōl How to pronounce fishbowl (audio)
1
: a bowl for the keeping of live fish
2
: a place or condition that affords no privacy

Examples of fishbowl in a Sentence

Being a politician these days means living in a fishbowl—every part of your life is open to public view.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Cupid Is Stupid Karaoke package includes shareable bites and group-style beverages like fishbowl cocktails and buckets of beer. Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 Such media coverage does affect how fans view players, especially in the Barca fishbowl. Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 6 June 2025 Ehlers wants to win, wants to get paid, wants to play a big role and might not want to do it in a fishbowl. Murat Ates, New York Times, 21 June 2025 The abundance of wide-angle, fishbowl shots is also very off-putting. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fishbowl

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fishbowl was in 1906

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Cite this Entry

“Fishbowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fishbowl. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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