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
-
Economists generally are skeptical of such projections, warning that public subsidies for sports stadiums are bad deals for taxpayers.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Where are the spring training stadiums?—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The state and national pageants showcase the talents, brains and looks of the woman synonymous with American beauty.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
While the Block Museum’s exhibitions look outward, the Museum of Contemporary Photography’s anniversary show looks inward.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
There will also be a series of booth exhibitions presented by cultural, global and educational organizations.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Kids can attend shows at a live theater; learn about space, trains, pop culture and art through exhibits; and show off their athletic skills at the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The Children's Museum is designed for kids up to 10 years old and features immersive exhibits, such as a giant mouth, a three-story wildnerness area and a pretend neighborhood.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These Olympics are a first major test of the spread-out hosting model for global sports spectacles.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
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
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
-
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 22 Feb. 2026.
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