1
as in madhouse
a place of uproar or confusion
with seven kids in the house, it's a circus most of the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pageant
an elaborate, visually exciting show or event
the media circus that took place outside the courthouse every day of the murder trial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circus
That being the case, it’s already devolved into a circus just days into the case, with the erratic Musk emerging as a key liability in his own proceedings.
—
Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 30 Apr. 2026
Allegedly, the squirrels had escaped a circus caravan and had been running loose around a pecan orchard in Madison, Florida.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
That will be harder to do in a few weeks, given the circus surrounding their head coach.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The audience is thrust into 1944 Hartford with townsfolk excited about how the circus is coming to town.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circus
Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 30 Apr. 2026
Allegedly, the squirrels had escaped a circus caravan and had been running loose around a pecan orchard in Madison, Florida.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
That will be harder to do in a few weeks, given the circus surrounding their head coach.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The audience is thrust into 1944 Hartford with townsfolk excited about how the circus is coming to town.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circus
Noun
-
Headphones are often my saving grace in this madhouse.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In practice, this means a madhouse of multimedia rooms, packed with gurgling videos and useless machines and humanoid bodies.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Before competing on Big Brother season 24, Hale won Miss Michigan USA and Miss Congeniality in Miss USA 2021, which became a point of contention when her fellow competitors bullied her for coming off as too much of a pageant queen.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
Jr Teen pageant again the weekend of April 10 in Wiltshire.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
When Allegri was the coach, Sassuolo played at the Enzo Ricci, a stadium with a capacity of 4,000.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
This designation will cover a portion of Interstate 80 where the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge reaches the city near Oracle Park, the Giants' home stadium.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
At one point during the bedlam, a firework appears to be set off in the windshield wiper cowl, with sparks flying into the cruiser's windshield.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
At the end of Saturday night’s game, Kennard did what he had been acquired to do, the reason the Lakers call him off the bench, draining a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left, sending the bench into bedlam and giving the Lakers (46-25) a 105-104 victory over the Orlando Magic (38-32).—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Dinosaurs is a 10-acre outdoor attraction featuring more than 40 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, along with walking trails, live shows and interactive exhibits.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora curated the mobile interactive mural exhibit, which evolved from the existing murals seen in Overtown that highlight the neighborhood’s history, and include a QR code for visitors to scan and learn about the stories behind them.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The coliseum site is just beginning to be reused after being torn down in ’07.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Majestically melodic hardcore by way of the Police, their music is both sonically and emotionally strong enough to rock any coliseum.—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Those awards will be given out on the show’s closing day, on November 22, instead of during the exhibition’s public opening.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
9 May 2026
-
More than half a million people are expected to visit the monumental international art fair over the next six months to see the work of over 100 artists and 99 nations, spread across 31 permanent national pavilions and a series of other exhibition spaces.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The performance in German and English is on all levels the kind of theatrical spectacle that makes Broadway seem like a dying street in Nowheresville.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
By pairing Eilish with Cameron in all the marketing, the hope was maybe that the film would appeal not just to concert fans but to more casual film fans who know Cameron can deliver a spectacle.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circus. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
