as in festival
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something
the town's annual Fourth of July carnival
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in carnivalesque
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of carnival
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Shoppers should not expect a carnival-like setting, but instead a variety of a vendors selling organic, locally sourced food.
—Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
Chloe McGowan, The Indianapolis Star, 27 June 2022
The Queen is also expected to attend the Derby, one of her favorite horse race events, a concert at Buckingham Palace and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a carnival-style celebration during which many artists, including Ed Sheeran, will perform.
—Monique Jessen, PEOPLE.com, 12 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
Noun
The five-piece sets liberatory mantras to music that evokes a carnival of the soul, propelled by freeform drums that clamor forth as if to outpace our grim times.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Shoppers should not expect a carnival-like setting, but instead a variety of a vendors selling organic, locally sourced food.
—Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Whitestown's family-friendly Independence Day Celebration will kick off at 6 p.m. with live music, carnival-style food, a ticketed kid's zone and a fireworks show once the sun goes down.
—Chloe McGowan, The Indianapolis Star, 27 June 2022
The Queen is also expected to attend the Derby, one of her favorite horse race events, a concert at Buckingham Palace and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a carnival-style celebration during which many artists, including Ed Sheeran, will perform.
—Monique Jessen, PEOPLE.com, 12 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnival
Noun
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Special late-night trains depart about an hour after each show on each day of the music festival.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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From the sweet and pungent Cipolla Rossa di Tropea festival in Ricadi to chestnut fairs in the mountains, these gatherings are a lively, delicious way to connect with the region’s culture and flavors.—
Jenna Curcio,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Participants take over city streets for a carnivalesque monthly ride, contesting cars’ dominance.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Mar. 2026
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But in its political culture the corruption was inescapable, and, like the city itself, carnivalesque.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Pakistani weddings are often elaborate, multi-day celebrations that place strong emphasis on visual storytelling, color and cultural symbolism.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Even so, the celebration is limited after going without pay for 45 days during this shutdown.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The hillside behind her was sprinkled with desert golds, but the display fell short of the riotous eruption of flowers posted on social media.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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The free event in Cass Corridor is an annual riotous, jazzy parade that draws thousands to join in wacky and wonderful costumes and floats, while marking the start to spring.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Seeded first in this NCAA regional and ranked second overall nationally behind 37-0 Connecticut, UCLA muscled past Minnesota 80-56 to start the festivities as Sacramento hosted a women’s tournament for the first time since 2010.—
Joe Davidson
March 27,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
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Hailing from Marinduque Island is the Moriones Festival, one of the oldest and most revered ecclesiastical festivities in the Philippines.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The raucous punk-rockers will release Public Luxury, the follow-up to 2017’s Cost of Living, on June 26, via Sub Pop.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
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Tiafoe said he was energized by the raucous Miami crowd.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The heavily partisan Missouri crowd was boisterous and passionate throughout, making the setting feel almost like Mizzou Arena at times.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
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The Israeli interviewees in Theroux’s documentary are portrayed as boisterous and open about their plans to fully occupy the West Bank and promote Palestinian relocation.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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A little lowly courier work, yes, but nothing more raffish than that.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnival. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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