Synonyms of circuses

circuses

noun

plural of circus

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

• stadiums
• coliseums
• parks
• bowls
• colosseums
• ballparks
• gymnasiums
• gyms
• spas
• domes
• arenas
• hippodromes

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

• madhouses
• bedlams
• three-ring circuses
• rackets
• commotions
• brouhahas
• babels
• scrums
• messes
• turmoils
• bustles
• ruckuses
• noises
• pandemoniums
• disorders
• tumults
• chaoses
• dins
• shambles
• clatters
• hubbubs
• hells
• havoc
• disarrangements
• disarrays
• clamors
• confusions
• musses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• utopias
• organizations
• paradises
• heavens
• orders
• respites
• peaces
• lulls
• calms
• arcadias
• silences
• hushes
• quiets

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

• pageants
• exhibitions
• exhibits
• spectacles
• extravaganzas
• spectaculars
• displays
• raree-shows
• expositions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of circuses

The best World Cup base camps have tended to be quiet ones, with squads that hole up in small towns and bond away from the spotlight routinely outlasting teams stationed amid bigger circuses. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Indeed, some of our oligarchs actually own the circuses. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 June 2026

Exotic animals were not typically a feature of carnivals; circuses, yes, but not carnivals. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026

In terms of performances and safety, the Triton Troupers Circus is like other circuses. — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 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