1
as in coliseums
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in madhouses
a place of uproar or confusion
with seven kids in the house, it's a circus most of the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pageants
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 circuses
Advertisement And yet, at the turn of the 20th century, family-friendly circuses couldn’t compete with new movie houses and the spectacle of the feature film.
—
Time, 30 Oct. 2025
In the roaring 1920s, barnstorming and flying circuses featuring wing walkers and aerial acrobatics soared in popularity.
—Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2025
One of her obituaries celebrated the life of a Bureau of Reclamation photographer who transitioned from a man to a woman and built miniature circuses.
—Susan Greene, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
Time, 30 Oct. 2025
In the roaring 1920s, barnstorming and flying circuses featuring wing walkers and aerial acrobatics soared in popularity.
—Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2025
One of her obituaries celebrated the life of a Bureau of Reclamation photographer who transitioned from a man to a woman and built miniature circuses.
—Susan Greene, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuses
Noun
-
Unlike traditional pageants where contestants compete for the crown, Sapini was appointed Miss Universe Haiti 2025 on October 19 based on her pageant experience.—
Sarah Moreno,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Unlike other pageants like Miss America, the Miss Universe competition does not have a talent portion in its lineup.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The tour will visit 11 cities, including major college football stadiums, but has no Phoenix dates scheduled.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Wallen’s new tour will visit stadiums in Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Pittsburgh, among other stops.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The festival offers retrospective conversations, exhibitions, and special screenings, as well as a wide range of other competitions throughout the event.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Additional exhibitions and community dialogues will run through May 30, 2026.—
CHRISTINA MAYO,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Guerra — who represents the 6th District and neighborhoods including Colonial Manor, Elmhurst and Tahoe Park — has served on the City Council since 2015, and has been a vocal advocate for public parks, pedestrian safety and improving local business corridors.—
Hector Amezcua,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Universal’s three Orlando parks saw significant attendance declines in 2024, according to a report from the Themed Entertainment Association.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The world is watching this and the other exhibits of a superpower going off the rails—and drawing conclusions.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The benefit will feature live entertainment, art activations, fine wine and cuisine, and an auction to support NUMU’s exhibits, educational programming and community work.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Leading up to the Great American Eclipse, these safety spectacles became a bit hard to find, so buy them and more eclipse gear and merch early.—
Maya Silver,
Outside,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Kiss wouldn’t have another Top 10 until long after Frehley left in 1981, but the quartet’s albums continued to sell well as its arena concerts became spectacles.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The Sundance Film Festival, named for one of the actor’s most iconic characters, grew into a cornerstone of the film industry and eventually one of the most glitzy extravaganzas on the Hollywood social calendar, known as much for screenings as for executive deal-making and VIP parties.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuses. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share