circus

noun

ˈsər-kəs How to pronounce circus (audio)
Definition of circusnext
1
as in madhouse
a place of uproar or confusion with seven kids in the house, it's a circus most of the time

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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
3
as in stadium
a large usually roofless building for sporting events with tiers of seats for spectators the Roman circus is believed to have held 50,000 spectators in ancient times

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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 The cast members, if not running to de-wig and get into their next costume, can be seen dancing, waving and greeting others buried in that centre-stage circus. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2026 Born in Nantes, France, Marchand first practiced gymnastics and circus arts, enrolling at the Nantes Conservatory at age 9, later attending the Paris Opera Ballet School and joining the company in 2011. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026 Such is the case with FL Sea Lion Encounters, the nonprofit affiliate of the traveling circus sideshow Sea Lion Splash. — Valerie Greene, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 In the film, Dumbo, a baby elephant with large ears, is dropped off by a stork at a circus in Florida. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circus
  1. madhouse
  2. pageant
  3. stadium
  4. bedlam
  5. exhibit
  6. coliseum
  7. exhibition
  8. spectacle
Noun
  • Great art can emerge from a garden cottage in Massachusetts or a madhouse in the South of France and find its audience generations later.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Whereas this evening in the Spanish Gothic madhouse of the United Theater, most every song from Melanie’s Hadean pageant is received with near word-perfect communalism.
    — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 13 July 2026
Definition of madhouse
Noun
  • Her photographs capture the curious rituals and unexpected intimacies of a pageant devoted entirely to hair.
    — PhotoVogue, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Glow Cushion will not give you that beauty pageant look—which is the point.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of pageant
Noun
  • Evers said Crowley also played a large role in negotiations on a $500 million deal to upgrade the baseball stadium where the Milwaukee Brewers play and to keep the team in the city through 2050.
    — Maayan Silver, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Football fans may also fancy a pilgrimage to Barcelona’s famous Camp Nou stadium.
    — Jaymi McCann, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of stadium
Noun
  • There wasn’t quite as much Phillies bedlam in Georgia on Wednesday.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But this is preposterous, this is insanity, this is the very essence of bedlam.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of bedlam
Noun
  • Almendariz and her daughter, Christina, are working to preserve both through traditional tule practices and an exhibit highlighting the relationship between Native communities and California's wetlands.
    — Conor McGill, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Among other efforts, the museum recently broke ground on Wonder Works, an auxiliary building where exhibits can be both created and repaired for the museum.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of exhibit
Noun
  • Miles away from his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, 18-year-old Cassius Clay (an exemplary Jaalen Best) and his Olympic teammates explore the coliseum.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The center will remove 2,000 spaces from its lot that is frequently used for coliseum events.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of coliseum
Noun
  • Included in the exhibition are four portraits of Roman emperors whose statues once stood at Boubon’s Sebasteion, a monumental display dedicated to the Roman imperial family, notes Tech Times.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The new collection will be presented in Paris during the menswear fashion week in January, alongside a broader cultural program encompassing an exhibition and music.
    — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of exhibition
Noun
  • Depp claimed the article damaged his reputation and career; both parties argued the other was the aggressor through the grueling six-week spectacle.
    — J. Kim Murphy, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2026
  • This year's promises to be even grander, as 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the spectacle, which started in 1924 (though it wasn’t held from 1942 to 1944 because parade materials were reserved for wartime efforts).
    — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of spectacle

Phrases Containing circus

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circumvents
circus
circuses
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Cite this Entry

“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circus. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on circus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about circus

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