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
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of carnival
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Admission is free; there are fees for activities such as the carnival and 5K run.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 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
There are plenty of engaging storylines to dive into this summer that won't include the Bayou Bengals and their carnival barker of a head coach even in the slightest.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Admission is free; there are fees for activities such as the carnival and 5K run.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 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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While the economics of independent film are constantly in flux, the importance of festivals as curators who can connect quality films with passionate audiences is as important as ever.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
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Thatcher said the festival itself remains an intense but productive environment.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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The atmosphere, for a while, was carnivalesque.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
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Participants take over city streets for a carnivalesque monthly ride, contesting cars’ dominance.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Subsequent photos showed the proud parents smiling in the audience as their daughter walked across the stage to collect her degree, Zahra alongside her friends in their graduation regalia and a glimpse at a family celebration.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
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Where are the best bakeries to buy celebration cakes?—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Attended by nearly 17,000 people, the Bowl’s biggest Spanish-language comedy event also featured a special (and sensual) musical performance by Colombian reggaeton heartthrob Feid, as well as Mexican comedian Sofia Niño de Rivera, who opened the show with her own riotous act.—
Malina Saval,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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In a riotous turn, Beverly played her role as Duncan’s fake date with inappropriate panache.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Noun
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Others, like Eric and Lisa Keiser, from Waterford, Pennsylvania, listened from outside the adjacent National Museum of Natural History, where the speeches and music still carried through the crowd as people milled around the Mall enjoying the day’s festivities.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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For live coverage of Saturday’s festivities, click here.—
Taylor Lyons,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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In this embryonic North American colony, Grietje and Anthony Jansen van Salee (that is, Anthony Jansen from the Moroccan port of Salé), as he was now commonly known, or Anthony the Turk as some called him, were raucous to say the least.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
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The end of the Colorado legislative session often is raucous and tense.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Reuters — The Republican speaker of Tennessee’s House of Representatives on Tuesday stripped Democratic lawmakers of all committee assignments as punishment for their role in boisterous protests during last week’s special session on redistricting.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
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When hearing another boisterous laugh.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Slain Supervisor Harvey Milk is raffish in his bust, tossing his head back with his necktie askance — the image is taken from a famous Dan Niccoleto photograph in front of the Castro Camera store.—
J.K. Dineen,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Dec. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnival. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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