as in pageants
an elaborate, visually exciting show or event
the over-the-top extravaganzas that are usually staged at halftime during the Super Bowl
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Recent Examples of extravaganzas
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
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
Netflix 'The Life of Chuck' Based on the Stephen King novella, director Mike Flanagan's supremely joyous character study – the best movie of 2025 – involves an apocalypse, multiple dance extravaganzas and a haunted attic.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
The venue is suited for musical performances from string quartets and small orchestras to vocal extravaganzas.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2025
His Christmas Eve shows were extravaganzas that involved holiday tunes and sound clips.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
The Sundance Film Festival, named for one of the actor’s most iconic characters, grew into a cornerstone of the film industry and eventually one of the most glitzy extravaganzas on the Hollywood social calendar, known as much for screenings as for executive deal-making and VIP parties.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
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
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
Netflix 'The Life of Chuck' Based on the Stephen King novella, director Mike Flanagan's supremely joyous character study – the best movie of 2025 – involves an apocalypse, multiple dance extravaganzas and a haunted attic.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
The venue is suited for musical performances from string quartets and small orchestras to vocal extravaganzas.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2025
His Christmas Eve shows were extravaganzas that involved holiday tunes and sound clips.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
The Sundance Film Festival, named for one of the actor’s most iconic characters, grew into a cornerstone of the film industry and eventually one of the most glitzy extravaganzas on the Hollywood social calendar, known as much for screenings as for executive deal-making and VIP parties.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extravaganzas
Noun
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Now in its 79th year, the festival features crab races—including the Governor’s Cup—cooking contests, live music, parades, pageants, running events, and boat docking competitions.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
-
Beauty pageants are added because +40 female adds to their mandates.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
But the real question during the Venice Biennale, in between exhibits and galleries, is always the same.—
Jenn Rice,
Vogue,
20 May 2026
-
More than 1 million square feet of space will be used for exhibits, events, gaming, panels, cosplay showcases, movie screenings, raves and afterparties.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
During the Great Migration in Tanzania’s famous Serengeti, wildebeest attempt a river crossing in one of nature’s most dramatic spectacles, but just a few dozen feet away, a bona fide traffic jam of safari vehicles crowds the riverbanks like paparazzi at a premiere.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
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But as production costs rose and financing grew more risk-averse, those ambitious historical spectacles gradually disappeared from the big screen, replaced by smaller auteur dramas, comedies and internationally portable genre films.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Auction houses have increasingly blurred the line between commercial and institutional space over the past decade, mounting scholarly exhibitions, publishing museum-quality catalogs, and courting curatorial prestige.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
19 May 2026
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Right now, the most likely uses seem to be entertainment, exhibitions, research, security demos or specialized industrial testing.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
“Extravaganzas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extravaganzas. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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