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
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
In terms of performances and safety, the Triton Troupers Circus is like other circuses.
—
Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuses
Noun
-
Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The Spurs, who play in one of the best soccer stadiums in the world, are sitting on $1 billion in debt.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These 34 comedies streaming across the internet satirize global issues like nuclear war, cultural trends like beauty pageants, and leave no stone unturned in their quest to make life's toughest stuff more emotionally palatable.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Loren got her start in beauty pageants as a young girl before turning to acting in the 1950s.—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
Architectural Digest,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On the road, ordinary gyms suddenly felt like coliseums.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Sixteen original structures are on the property, along with two permanent exhibitions about the history of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery in Louisiana.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Per a release, 13 other Greek institutions have new equipment and facilities as a result of the exhibitions NEON mounted there.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some die-hard hometown Prince fans have been frustrated that more new exhibits and events don’t take place there beyond the annual Celebration around Prince’s June 7 birthday (coming up again June 3-7).—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Additional messages included in the exhibits released on Tuesday show that Biden-era investigators scrutinized video footage and attempted to identify suspicious activity.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If your unable to view comet C/2025 R3, sky watchers can prepare for two cosmic spectacles this spring.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
An online amalgam of conspicuous consumption, natural wonders, and manmade spectacles — like the world’s tallest tower, Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque, and even, yes, the vivid green of Dubai Chocolate — has propelled the emirates to superlative measures of tourism and consumer behavior.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 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 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
