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
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
His work can sometimes seem like a bit of an architectural freak show, worthy of an HGTV series more than a museum exhibition.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
What all of these dogs share—besides their Great Dane roots—is that they’re never framed as freak shows.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for freak show
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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
His work can sometimes seem like a bit of an architectural freak show, worthy of an HGTV series more than a museum exhibition.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
What all of these dogs share—besides their Great Dane roots—is that they’re never framed as freak shows.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
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 12 Mar. 2026.
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