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
However, the Salah sideshow continued to be a distraction.
—
James Pearce, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Fraser’s blueprint was classic consultant-style triage—divest the sideshow businesses, simplify the org chart, and redirect capital to the divisions that could actually win.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Rarely were there any true freaks, which was where their sideshow stood out.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Demoustier stars as a penniless young woman called Suzanne working on the ‘Venus Electrificata’ sideshow of a traveling fair meting out electrifying kisses to unsuspecting paying bystanders, while secretly being charged with electricity.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideshow
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James Pearce, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Fraser’s blueprint was classic consultant-style triage—divest the sideshow businesses, simplify the org chart, and redirect capital to the divisions that could actually win.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Rarely were there any true freaks, which was where their sideshow stood out.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Demoustier stars as a penniless young woman called Suzanne working on the ‘Venus Electrificata’ sideshow of a traveling fair meting out electrifying kisses to unsuspecting paying bystanders, while secretly being charged with electricity.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 May 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 29 May. 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)
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