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
-
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.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The money also has been used to build, expand and improve stadiums, arenas and some arts venues.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The beauty queen won five pageants — Miss West Coast, Miss Nuestra Belleza USA, Miss Fresno County, Miss Regional West and Miss California Congeniality.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Stoschek’s foundation has supported dozens of exhibitions, including two of Germany’s pavilions at the Venice Biennale, and runs public museums in Düsseldorf and Berlin.—
Will Fenstermaker,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Expressly used for events, the station’s Platform 3 morphed into the Edo-Tokyo Museum, complete with exhibitions, illuminations, food tastings, and the sense that both the Japanese capital’s past and future have always been at home in Ryogoku.—
Jonathan DeLise,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The vroom-vroom event features more than 800 custom, exotic, rare and exclusive cars and trucks, as well as live-action drifting, fan ride-alongs, custom exhibits, interactive fan racing activities and attractions, auctions and live concerts.—
Rod Stafford Hagwood,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Cincinnati Golf Expo Browse exhibits of everything golf, including entertainment, retail and travel.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Super Bowl halftime show has evolved from being a showcase for local marching bands into one of the biggest spectacles in entertainment.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The outdoor stadium setting in Saudi Arabia also promises a visually impressive backdrop for what’s already one of wrestling’s most unpredictable spectacles.—
Jenzia Burgos,
StyleCaster,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
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
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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 10 Feb. 2026.
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