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.
For the faithful gathered here, of course, the sideshow drama was not the point. Katie Primm, NBC news, 9 May 2025 Some of the same sideshow performers provided entertainment. James Barron, New York Times, 2 May 2025 Sloan rightfully believed that the SEC’s heart and soul belonged to football, and basketball was nothing more than an afterthought and a sideshow. Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2025 According to court records and previous media reports, Jackson was charged with murder for an October 2009 fatal shooting of a 23-year-old man during a sideshow in the 4300 block of Foothill Boulevard in East Oakland. Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sideshow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideshow. Accessed 23 May. 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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