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
Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
This festival featured carnivals that included music, costumes, and mocking church rituals.
—Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 1 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
Likewise, present-day carnival celebrations seem—if only to a certain extent—to have rejected the enjoyment-for-enjoyment’s sake attitude that prevailed in the days of Johanna Schopenhauer.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
This festival featured carnivals that included music, costumes, and mocking church rituals.
—Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 1 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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Emilie Bujès is to step down as artistic director of documentary film festival Visions du Réel, which takes place in Nyon, Switzerland.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
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On Wednesday, the Country Splash festival announced its inaugural lineup.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
8 Apr. 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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Multiple street signs were also damaged during the celebration.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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In a city rife with steakhouses and flashy openings from around the world, Cantina Contramar is a real celebration of Mexican cuisine and culture.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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His current work is less abrasive, more reggae-themed than riotous.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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All the festivities came to a halt in the sixth minute when Austin took the lead on a header by Guilherme Biro off a Facundo Torres corner kick.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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The 13 Going on 30 actress ditched her signature minimalist glam for a bright pink lip while giving fans a glimpse at her Easter festivities with her family on Sunday.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The raucous clip was co-directed by Carpenter and Margaret Qualley, and also co-stars Madelyn Cline.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
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The show stars Levy and Ortega as Nicky and Morgan, the older children of Laurie Metcalf's Linda, a raucous New Jersey mother running for mayor.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Assad’s 5 2/3 shutout innings in a 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays earned an ovation from the boisterous Cubs fans who filled the ballpark.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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This affords it plenty of privacy despite the windows on all sides, with the only immediate neighbors being a boisterous bunch of alpacas, goats, chicken, and cows.—
Bailey Berg,
Architectural Digest,
8 Apr. 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 Apr. 2026.
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