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 idea of a 10% rate cap has all the seriousness of bread-and-circuses governance.
—
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Coaches don’t like media circuses, but Jones can’t wean himself off the attention.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Other nominees included the Swiss yodelling, the handloom weaving technique used to make Bangladesh’s Tangail sarees, and Chile’s family circuses.
—Paolo Santalucia, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
Tom Parker, who had recently quit the circuses and carnivals, was living in Tampa doing small independent promotions.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Some, such as Ignat Trofimov and Ivan Kalugin, made these dangerous captures a family business; their dynasties would operate for decades, satisfying demand from the zoos and circuses of the world eager for roaring tigers to entertain paying guests.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
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
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Coaches don’t like media circuses, but Jones can’t wean himself off the attention.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Other nominees included the Swiss yodelling, the handloom weaving technique used to make Bangladesh’s Tangail sarees, and Chile’s family circuses.
—Paolo Santalucia, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
Tom Parker, who had recently quit the circuses and carnivals, was living in Tampa doing small independent promotions.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Some, such as Ignat Trofimov and Ivan Kalugin, made these dangerous captures a family business; their dynasties would operate for decades, satisfying demand from the zoos and circuses of the world eager for roaring tigers to entertain paying guests.
—Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuses
Noun
-
With Carti ruling the Billboard 200 last year and touring stadiums alongside one of the biggest pop stars in the world, Rocky’s fingerprints have been all over the past eight years of music and culture.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Last year, Shakira kicked off the tour in Brazil, and has since hit major stadiums across the world, including MetLife Stadium in New York.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
She is also credited as the music supervisor for the NAACP Image Awards and several Miss Universe pageants, most recently in 2023.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Outside of pageants and her nursing work, Skylene also was a volleyball coach with the Bayou Sports Club-USA Club volleyball team, per The Parkersburg News and Sentinel.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Kelley Szany is senior vice president of education and exhibitions at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and co-chair of the Illinois Holocaust & Genocide Commission.—
Bernard Cherkasov,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
For her, that meant reassessing what she most valued, and stepping back from the near-constant rotation of museum and gallery exhibitions.—
Tara Anne Dalbow,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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CNTraveler highlights how museums are removing artefacts from behind glass screens and curating hands-on, participatory visits where people touch and feel the exhibits.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In its temporary space at Three Wells Fargo, the museum went back to its roots, prioritizing digital exhibits and walking tours, making its exhibits accessible even if a guest didn’t visit the space.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For several years now, Netflix has been on the hunt for live sporting events and spectacles to beam to its 325 million global subscribers.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
27 Jan. 2026
-
It’s become largely focussed on creating spectacles, such as the No Kings protests, that can mobilize large numbers of people at breakneck speed to march, sign petitions, and contribute money.—
Charles Duhigg,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Before this year's show, see some of the biggest moments from past halftime extravaganzas in the gallery above.—
Jeff Suess,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Netflix 'The Life of Chuck' Based on the Stephen King novella, director Mike Flanagan's supremely joyous character study – the best movie of 2025 – involves an apocalypse, multiple dance extravaganzas and a haunted attic.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Each December, cities around Europe transform into twinkling holiday spectaculars, hosting Christmas markets and general cheer, where the hot cocoa flows like a river.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
-
These itinerant lecturers performed experiments and spectaculars in London coffeehouses and aristocratic salons, demonstrating Newtonian physics.—
Beth DuFault,
The Conversation,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuses. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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