mummery

Definition of mummerynext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mummery But what was once the norm can now seem a kind of ableist mummery, which this production attempts to sidestep by offering a Richard with no physical impairments at all. New York Times, 11 July 2022 Last week, as Russia prepared to invade Ukraine and Gergiev prepared to lead the Vienna Philharmonic in three concerts at Carnegie Hall, the usual mummery was unfolding. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2022 One of the oldest traditions in the United States is begging or the giving tips at the holiday, brought by English settlers and part of the Christmas celebrations associated with mummery and the Lord of Misrule, according to Turino. Steven Goode, courant.com, 17 Dec. 2020 Keziah Wallis of Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand says that the rift first appeared in the 19th century, when a new understanding of Buddhism as a rational philosophy free of the mummery of religion began to take hold. The Economist, 14 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mummery
Noun
  • Hundreds of Senegalese gathered for a public viewing in the area historically called Little Senegal in Harlem, then spilled into the streets waving flags, singing and dancing in an informal parade late into the night.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Carnival parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • 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 alt-rock singer-songwriter with bonafide pop-star status originally booked a solo tour extravaganza back in 2020 in support of Petals for Armor, but the pandemic scrapped those plans.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The announcement was heavy on pomp and light on circumstance, so most of the details are rather fuzzy.
    O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 16 Jan. 2026
  • But through their ups and downs, the Globes have always tried to put pomp over politics.
    Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The island-wide celebration includes concerts, parades, cultural activities, and pageants, while numerous fairs celebrate the best in local art and culture.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026
  • One of the most beloved holiday specials ever made doesn’t start with costumed pageants, joyful carols or snowmen come to life but with a self-aware declaration of seasonal depression.
    Abigail Rosenthal, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The Clydesdales have become a Super Bowl favorite, and their appearance in 2026 will mark their 48th overall in the advertising roster of the gridiron spectacle.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
  • It’s become largely focussed on creating spectacles, such as the No Kings protests, that can mobilize large numbers of people at breakneck speed to march, sign petitions, and contribute money.
    Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The impulse will be toward heat-seeking virality, not pomp and pageantry.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Wrestlers ranging from 5 years old to adults swirled all around, adding to the pomp and pageantry.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This gesture contrasts in the central avenue of Vassilissis Sofia, with the ostentation of the immediate official buildings, where the flags are flying full.
    Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 18 Jan. 2026
  • Small in scale, devoid of ostentation, and otherwise deferential to Carmel’s forest character—Dyar Architecture’s Carmelo connects the dots between Carmel-by-the-Sea’s architectural past and present.
    Richard Olsen, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Yet, what would normally elicit a litany of social chatter across the internet just kind of came and went with very little fanfare.
    Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Members of the royal family can, and do, flit in and out of the private dining rooms and salons without any fanfare.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mummery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mummery. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

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