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
As a teen-ager, Batten was the president of Animal Connection of Texas, an animal-rights nonprofit, and lobbied for restrictions on travelling circuses.
—
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
Signs discussing the use of Blackface and Minstrel music in traveling circuses were submitted.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
The stark reality Stark toured with circuses until the late 1940s, when she was hired by Jungleland, a zoo located outside of Los Angeles.
—Alessandro Meregaglia, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
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
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
Signs discussing the use of Blackface and Minstrel music in traveling circuses were submitted.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
The stark reality Stark toured with circuses until the late 1940s, when she was hired by Jungleland, a zoo located outside of Los Angeles.
—Alessandro Meregaglia, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuses
Noun
-
On March 23, MLB announced a partnership with competitive eating star Joey Chestnut to bring the viral challenge to six stadiums during the 2026 season.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That’s due in part to venue costs for stadiums and practice facilities, and rising player costs.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Armando Labrador writes songs, holds beauty pageants and leads a group of dissidents who stage protests in Havana.—
Michael Smith,
Bloomberg,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Sewing my costumes, making my evening gowns for pageants.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
On the road, ordinary gyms suddenly felt like coliseums.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lee is also an accomplished film photographer, with his works having been featured in multiple group and solo exhibitions, magazines and books.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
-
All of Boston’s teams and their biggest stars are honored at TD Garden’s Sports Museum, featuring exhibitions on the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox, and sculptures of Larry Bird and Ted Williams.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Speaking in New York City on Tuesday, Mahama was referring to moves such as the dismantling of slavery exhibits, the restoration of Confederate statues, and the removal of Black history courses from school curricula, Reuters reported.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Installations and special exhibits like a holiday light show further the wow factor.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Trump supporters say the protests are spectacles of no real consequence.—
Staff And Wire Reports,
Daily News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
My lack of Portuguese comprehension skills can’t stop me from enjoying these spectacles of audiovisual harmony.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Production’s involvement in paying for cast extravaganzas is something Monique brought up in a confessional interview during season 10.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Every year, these flashy performances — from classic movie-musical extravaganzas to Disney earworms to Bond themes to power ballads — are the highlight of an already ridiculously flashy ceremony.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And 2026 is already off to a bright start, with a buzzy debut novel from Jennette McCurdy, plenty of celebrity memoirs and sci-fi spectaculars.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Circuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuses. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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