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
While docked in Florida, the troupe encounters trouble in the form of psychotic Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch), a deranged murderer with a taste for sideshow carnage.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025
Unreal videos are moving from a concerning sideshow to being the centerpiece of our feeds.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
The main event, downsized to a sideshow.
—Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Nothing boisterous from the star of last year’s media day, with Bronny James entering his second season more as a possible contributor than a sideshow distraction.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideshow
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Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025
Unreal videos are moving from a concerning sideshow to being the centerpiece of our feeds.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
The main event, downsized to a sideshow.
—Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Nothing boisterous from the star of last year’s media day, with Bronny James entering his second season more as a possible contributor than a sideshow distraction.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideshow
Cite this Entry
“Sideshow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideshow. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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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