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 There'll be a DJ, a circus show, field games and a pie-eating contest among other family activities. — Tristan McFolley, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026 By now, not even third-rate circuses would hire me, much less an outfit like Hep Spyder’s, the World’s Famous Bushwick Circus. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026 Set in the 1950s, Juul follows 17-year-old circus acrobat Juul, whose life changes forever after a tragic accident leaves her in a coma and declared brain-dead. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026 In reality, no team wanted a backup-quality quarterback attached to a divisive political circus. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 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
  • 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
  • Headphones are often my saving grace in this madhouse.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of madhouse
Noun
  • Miss America 2026 Cassie Donegan, 28, crowned her successor, per pageant tradition.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026
  • When the pageant recruiter comes to school, Paulina and her crew pull out all the stops.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of pageant
Noun
  • So, the Bills’ ownership had all the available data, up to date, when making their decisions to build their new stadium and determine the surface type.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Harry Styles will play two Los Angeles dates in the six-city North American leg of his Together, Together 2027 global stadium tour, with another six cities set for the subsequent European leg to follow.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of stadium
Noun
  • Against this bedlam, Rhaenyra tries to fashion herself a real queen.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
  • The scene around me was one of utter bedlam, with stadium officials even joining in the celebrations.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
Definition of bedlam
Noun
  • The open-plan, curvilinear design means the galleries are not fully divided, reinforcing the all-encompassing nature of the collection, though altogether the vast array of exhibits sometimes struggle for cohesiveness.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The explosion occurred while the Washoe was racing another steamboat, the Sacramento History Museum, which has an exhibit of remnants of the steamboat, said.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhibit
Noun
  • Four years earlier, a leaner and healthier Elvis played a much better concert at this same coliseum.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The move to North Main Street brought more Stockyards visitors and cowboys headed to Billy Bob’s Texas or the coliseum rodeos.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 July 2026
Definition of coliseum
Noun
  • In 2013, a painting that had originally sold for $10,000 at his thesis exhibition sold for $389,000 at a Phillips auction.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Organized by late Belgian curator Jan Hoet, the exhibition was staged in different outdoor areas of Aoyama.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhibition
Noun
  • But Churchill also hosts another annual wildlife spectacle, said Oliver Smith in the Financial Times – one that attracts fewer visitors but is equally worth seeing.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The celebrities are the spectacle of each new season, but the pros stay put year-after-year, building their own level of celebrity.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 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 12 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on circus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about circus

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