sideshow

noun

side·​show ˈsīd-ˌshō 

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

If nothing else, the movie now comes with a sideshow, and sideshows keep a title in the conversation. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

In reality, that's where this whole ordeal turned into a political sideshow that felt more like propaganda than the actual athletes involved in the case. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

So instead, Ziegfeld brought video of their snake-charming act, then hammered home their carnival sideshow bona fides by knocking a nail into their own nasal cavity in what was called the Human Blockhead act. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

The geography dispute is a sideshow to the broader trade dispute. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sideshow

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

sideshow

noun

side·​show -ˌshō 

: a small show off to the side offered in addition to a main show (as of a circus)