three-ring circus

noun

Updated on: 21 Mar 2018

Definition of three-ring circus

1 : a circus with simultaneous performances in three rings

2 : something wild, confusing, engrossing, or entertaining

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Recent Examples of three-ring circus from the Web

Every May is a three-ring circus, Carpenter said, and his team is plenty experienced at dealing with the noise and focusing on the mission at hand.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Danica Patrick on closing career at Indy 500: 'It just feels right'," 7 Mar. 2018
Every May is a three-ring circus, Carpenter said, and his team is plenty experienced at dealing with the noise and focusing on the mission at hand.

— jim ayello, USA TODAY Sports, "Danica Patrick on closing career at Indy 500: 'It just feels right'," 7 Mar. 2018
And actually getting to eat instead of playing fetch with Matchbox cars or putting on a one-parent three-ring circus to entertain a kid who's thisclose to a meltdown.

— kim fusaro, Woman's Day, "Will Elmo Destroy My Toddler's Social Skills?," 14 Feb. 2012
The extraordinary success of the giant three-ring circus gave rise to other forms of exportable American giantism, such as amusement parks, department stores, and shopping malls.

— janet m. davis, Smithsonian, "America’s Big Circus Spectacular Has a Long and Cherished History," 22 Mar. 2017
Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have anyone in the shebeen looking up from their pints, but the IOP has made a real three-ring circus out of its fellowship program this time around.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Way to Go, Harvard," 14 Sep. 2017
The American three-ring circus came of age at precisely the same historical moment as the U.S. itself.

— janet m. davis, Smithsonian, "America’s Big Circus Spectacular Has a Long and Cherished History," 22 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'three-ring circus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.