freak show
noun
1
dated
: an exhibition (such as a sideshow) featuring people with physical abnormalities
2
: something that attracts attention for being strange, abnormal, or unseemly
… people who are turning our politics into a freak show for their own cynical or sanctimonious reasons.—
David Von Drehle
David Von DrehleExamples of freak show in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All sporting events are, fundamentally, freak shows.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
This many people want to see a freak show.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Well, now even a hater like me has a reason to watch the coming freak show.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 4 Mar. 2026
While many talk shows began as fitfully amusing discussions around relevant issues, some soon devolved into sordid and exploitative freak shows that encouraged verbal and physical altercations.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for freak show
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Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
This many people want to see a freak show.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Well, now even a hater like me has a reason to watch the coming freak show.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 4 Mar. 2026
While many talk shows began as fitfully amusing discussions around relevant issues, some soon devolved into sordid and exploitative freak shows that encouraged verbal and physical altercations.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for freak show
Cite this Entry
“Freak show.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freak%20show. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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