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
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Recent Examples of carnival
Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The decision to cancel the remainder of the carnival was made in the interest of public safety, police said.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 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
Four people, including two children, were injured when a cable snapped midair on a carnival attraction in Spain.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The decision to cancel the remainder of the carnival was made in the interest of public safety, police said.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 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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Ticket discounts end Wednesday, and full-price tickets will be on sale while supplies last, according to the festival website.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
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Bentley and Kwedar will also develop a slate with up-and-coming filmmakers selected from the world’s top festivals and film schools.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
6 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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The attack, which left 15 dead at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, fueled calls for tougher gun controls and more action to tackle hatred towards Jews and followed a spate of antisemitic incidents in Australia.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
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Named as a nod to the geography and industry of our county and region, the SAND + STEEL Art Fest is a free, three-day celebration of local artistic creativity and talent.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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Because of the riotous abundance of color.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This summer, a series of events, exhibitions, and festivities will celebrate the return of the World Cup to Dallas, adding extra appeal to a city that’s been enjoying a major epicurean renaissance of late.—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
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At home in New York, there’s the pre-Met festivities.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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The top candidates in California’s wide-open race for governor took the stage Wednesday night in a Los Angeles debate that began politely but quickly devolved into another raucous clash.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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The 3-year-old bay thoroughbred colt sent DeVaux and the rest of the owner’s box into a raucous affair as one can surely understand.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Known for his boisterous tone, wonky catchphrases and punny home run calls, Sterling, who was nominated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, dealt with various health issues over the past few years.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
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The boisterous crowds during the sumo watch parties.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
4 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 11 May. 2026.
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