merry-go-round
noun
mer·ry-go-round
ˈmer-ē-gō-ˌrau̇nd 
-gə-
1
a
: an amusement park ride with seats often in the form of animals (such as horses) revolving about a fixed center
The children grabbed each other by the hand and danced off in the direction of the merry-go-round, toward the wonderful music and the wonderful adventure and the wonderful excitement …—
E. B. White
E. B. Whitecalled also carousel
b
: a children's playground apparatus consisting of a platform that revolves about a fixed center
And every day at recess, Reuben would push us on the merry-go-round on the playground. He would push us really fast, and we all thought Reuben made recess great fun—as long as we held on tight and didn't fall off as we whirled around.—Terri Auchter
Terri Auchter2
: a cycle of activity that is complex, fast-paced, or difficult to break out of
the corporate merry-go-round
Examples of merry-go-round in a Sentence
weary of the daily merry-go-round of commuting to his job in the city
Recent Examples on the Web
Police are looking into whether Carter might have died after an e-bike was used to propel a merry-go-round in the park, Cheshire Constabulary said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Gauger also needs to establish trust quickly, both internally and externally, because the leadership merry-go-round will inevitably lead customers and staff to wonder whether this is the just the latest knee jerk switch in direction before Gap Inc. switches once again.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
That’s because Lanthimos brings to this film his signature stamp of perverse detachment, though without the fish-eyed lenses this harrowing time around depravity’s merry-go-round.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025
That means his expectation for 2025 is for the Dolphins to get off the mediocrity merry-go-round, produce a winning record and possibly end the team’s 25 streak of not winning a playoff game.
—Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merry-go-round
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Becca Longmire, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Gauger also needs to establish trust quickly, both internally and externally, because the leadership merry-go-round will inevitably lead customers and staff to wonder whether this is the just the latest knee jerk switch in direction before Gap Inc. switches once again.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
That’s because Lanthimos brings to this film his signature stamp of perverse detachment, though without the fish-eyed lenses this harrowing time around depravity’s merry-go-round.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025
That means his expectation for 2025 is for the Dolphins to get off the mediocrity merry-go-round, produce a winning record and possibly end the team’s 25 streak of not winning a playoff game.
—Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merry-go-round
Cite this Entry
“Merry-go-round.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merry-go-round. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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