musical chairs

noun

plural in form but singular in construction
: a game in which players march to music around a row of chairs numbering one less than the players and scramble for seats when the music stops
also : a situation or series of events suggesting the game of musical chairs (as in rapid change or confusing activity)

Examples of musical chairs in a Sentence

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.
Audiences scrunched under the Jay Pritzker Pavilion fringe, only to play musical chairs dodging the structure’s many (and ever-changing) leaky spots. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025 As summer travel kicks into high gear, the game of musical chairs in the sky shows no signs of slowing down as the seat-swapping trend continues. Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2025 Given all the changes that have been made, and will continue to be made with WBD’s executive musical chairs, AEW shouldn’t hold my breath for an HBO Max PPV model. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 The format, which sees eligible singles from across the country live in a villa, summer camp style, and play musical chairs with their romantic relationships, is ripe for online commentary. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for musical chairs

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of musical chairs was in 1877

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Cite this Entry

“Musical chairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musical%20chairs. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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