sideshow

noun

side·​show ˈsīd-ˌshō How to pronounce sideshow (audio)
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
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.
It was supposed to go like this: Musk, who became a chainsaw-wielding MAGA acolyte, would ditch the DC sideshow and get back to business. Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 July 2025 But at Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon, teammate Max Muncy did it twice — hitting two home runs and matching a career high with seven RBIs to lift the Dodgers to a 13-7 defeat of the Washington Nationals, and make Ohtani more of the sideshow in his second pitching start of the season. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025 Street racing and sideshows had in the past been more popular in an industrial area of Riverside off of Interstate 635, called Horizons, said Skinrood. Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2025 But these sideshows do nothing to diminish the physical and forensic evidence. Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sideshow

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sideshow was in 1846

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Cite this Entry

“Sideshow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideshow. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sideshow

noun
side·​show -ˌshō How to pronounce sideshow (audio)
: a small show off to the side offered in addition to a main show (as of a circus)

More from Merriam-Webster on sideshow

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