as in ritual
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules
a beautiful, old-fashioned wedding ceremony
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Recent Examples of ceremony
Supplying uniforms for different occasions, including the opening ceremony, as well as outdoor and indoor podiums, Li-Ning decked the pieces in fiery red or in different shades of blue.
—
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
She was set to co-host NBC’s telecast of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan on Friday, but the trip was scrapped due to her family crisis.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Interweaving sport, fashion and national heritage, just as the Paris Olympics did in 2024, the Italian ceremony also included a tribute to Giorgio Armani, the late fashion titan who died at 91 last September and stood as Milan’s greatest ambassador.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
There were actually 22 feature-film trophies up for grabs at the 1951 ceremony, but that number is a bit deceptive.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ceremony
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
She was set to co-host NBC’s telecast of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan on Friday, but the trip was scrapped due to her family crisis.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Interweaving sport, fashion and national heritage, just as the Paris Olympics did in 2024, the Italian ceremony also included a tribute to Giorgio Armani, the late fashion titan who died at 91 last September and stood as Milan’s greatest ambassador.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
There were actually 22 feature-film trophies up for grabs at the 1951 ceremony, but that number is a bit deceptive.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ceremony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ceremony
ritual
Noun
-
By the time Melania arrives at the Inaugural festivities, the film has given itself over to a series of rituals (the candlelight dinner, the Inaugural itself, the luncheon, the Starlight Ball), which feels weirdly fitting since the filmmaking itself is so ritualized.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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Without that ritual the stress of the sale lingers in your system.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ceremony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ceremony. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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