1
: a minor show offered in addition to a main exhibition (as of a circus)
2
: an incidental diversion or spectacle
Examples of sideshow in a Sentence
Their disagreement is just a political sideshow when compared to the real issues at hand.
Recent Examples on the Web
What more could Long Rife have accomplished in a world that has pushed women’s basketball to the front, instead of relegating it to a sideshow?
—
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
Still, the enforceability debate can sometimes feel like a sideshow.
—Catherine Thorbecke, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Court documents allege this was not a one-time mistake, saying the driver had been participating in sideshows for multiple months.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
The bigger picture here, though, is that the Giants hired Harbaugh so the team and organization would stop being a sideshow.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideshow
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.
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
Still, the enforceability debate can sometimes feel like a sideshow.
—Catherine Thorbecke, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Court documents allege this was not a one-time mistake, saying the driver had been participating in sideshows for multiple months.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
The bigger picture here, though, is that the Giants hired Harbaugh so the team and organization would stop being a sideshow.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideshow
Cite this Entry
“Sideshow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideshow. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sideshow
noun
side·show
-ˌshō 
: a small show off to the side offered in addition to a main show (as of a circus)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
