1
as in stadiums
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
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Recent Examples of circuses
The city bans most wild species altogether, except in places like zoos, circuses, or educational facilities.
—
Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025
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
Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuses
Noun
-
By visiting a president who has used his power to harm the most vulnerable, the team would be turning its back on the very people who fill the stadiums, wear the jerseys, and give this team its heart.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The company, which now has its products in football stadiums (including for William's favorite's Aston Villa) and at Coldplay gigs last summer, has replaced 30 million single-use plastics to date.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Itsaragrisil’s firm, which also owns and operates other beauty pageants including Miss Grand International, recently acquired shares from former Miss Universe director Anne Jakrajutatip.—
Sarah Moreno,
Miami Herald,
4 Nov. 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
-
That more than compensated for the absence of Dixon-Waters, who was SDSU’s leading scorer in both preseason exhibitions (19 and 17 points) after missing all of last season with a fractured bone in his foot that refused to heal quickly.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Under de Blasio, the mansion became a space that blended residential, artistic, and civic functions, including exhibitions exploring social change, while maintaining the mansion’s long-standing public and political significance.—
Nandika Chatterjee,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
This year’s Imaginarium Festival theme is Winter Utopia, featuring ice kingdoms and fairytale landscapes alongside infinity mirror rooms, interactive exhibits, carnival games and an ice skating rink.—
Marcus Smith,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Three days of testimony, dozens of exhibits, and one Subway sandwich later, the misdemeanor assault case against Sean Charles Dunn is now in the hands of a jury, and the defense says the government has taken a protest moment and turned it into a federal prosecution.—
Beatrice Peterson,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 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
-
The venue is suited for musical performances from string quartets and small orchestras to vocal extravaganzas.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Nov. 2025
-
His Christmas Eve shows were extravaganzas that involved holiday tunes and sound clips.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuses. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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