as in celebrations
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something
tourists flock to the town for its annual strawberry festival
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of festivals
December brings warm days, lush landscapes, and vibrant local festivals.
—
Jim Augerinos, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025
The film was shown at the Netherlands, Berlin and Miami film festivals, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and in 2018 was released on DVD in Germany.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
It’s also picked up a dozen awards from festivals across the world.
—James Russell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 30 Oct. 2025
This is common, of course, in gaming, but not so much in the traditional cinema world, and Raschid’s films have been especially popular lately with festivals all over the world.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
The draw is a sparsely populated, protected landscape that caters to visitors interested in archaeology, art, nature, and wellness, as well as festivals and concerts featuring global stars like Alicia Keys and Andrea Bocelli.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
On this week’s episode, Anne Thompson is fresh back from the Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia, which showed the importance of regional festivals as a building block to Oscar nominations.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
After a rousing premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it was acquired by Netflix, the film went on to make a strong showing at the New York, Mill Valley and most recently Middleburg film festivals, earning raves and deepening its resonance with every screening.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Jim Augerinos, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025
The film was shown at the Netherlands, Berlin and Miami film festivals, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and in 2018 was released on DVD in Germany.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
It’s also picked up a dozen awards from festivals across the world.
—James Russell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 30 Oct. 2025
This is common, of course, in gaming, but not so much in the traditional cinema world, and Raschid’s films have been especially popular lately with festivals all over the world.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
The draw is a sparsely populated, protected landscape that caters to visitors interested in archaeology, art, nature, and wellness, as well as festivals and concerts featuring global stars like Alicia Keys and Andrea Bocelli.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
On this week’s episode, Anne Thompson is fresh back from the Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia, which showed the importance of regional festivals as a building block to Oscar nominations.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
After a rousing premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it was acquired by Netflix, the film went on to make a strong showing at the New York, Mill Valley and most recently Middleburg film festivals, earning raves and deepening its resonance with every screening.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festivals
Noun
-
Happy belated birthday to Ashanti and cheers to many more island celebrations with family and friends!—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
27 Oct. 2025
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Vilnius kicks off its Christmas celebrations on November 29 with the lighting of its Cathedral Square tree, whose design and size change every year.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Spooky celebrators get to partake in Halloween festivities on a Friday this year, offering a change of pace from years past when the holiday falls before a work or school day.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
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Kansas City native, Pyet DeSpain grew up with food at the center of many cultural festivities.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For those traveling with children, TAFER’s signature Little Luxuries family program offers activities including face painting, ancestral Mexican games, traditional Mexican Cumbia live dance performances, beachside fiestas and more.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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The Semana Santa processions in Seville date back to the 16th century and are one of Spain's most famous fiestas.—
Nina Aquino,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Festivals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festivals. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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