pageants

plural of pageant
1
as in parades
a staged presentation often with music that consists of a procession of narrated or enacted scenes we always put on a Christmas pageant every year

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2
as in exhibits
an elaborate, visually exciting show or event an annual summertime pageant depicting the town's founding and colorful early history

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pageants Amber Uhler, Miss Michigan USA For Amber Uhler, pageants are intertwined in a unique way with her health. Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 No stranger to controversy over the past several years, the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants have just landed in another. Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 Venezuelan lawyer and designer Prince Julio César, director of Miss Universe Cuba, stated at the conclusion of the event that the finalists would continue working with the organization to prepare them for other beauty pageants. Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 In 2024, The CW sealed a three-year deal to air the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants — although the network didn’t air the pageants in 2025. Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 However, in 2025, the pageants aired on the Queen Beauty Network, which focuses on fashion, beauty, and pageant industries. Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 JonBenét’s involvement in beauty pageants became fodder for tabloids, suspicion surrounded her parents even after they had been cleared as suspects, and numerous theories developed regarding who killed her. Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026 And then there’d be pictures of Shelly and April onstage in the beauty pageants. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2026 The victim, identified by relatives as Kiara Darvonne Bowling, is in her early 30s and works as an event planner and competes in pageants. Da Lin, CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pageants
Noun
  • In mid-July, the annual Watermelon Festival features live entertainment, antique cars, parades, rides, and of course, watermelons.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Harding and Powell have been making the rounds at parades and festivals where meat raffles offer oversized sausages as prizes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The event is expected to feature over 2,000 exhibits from more than 300 exhibitors, including over 150 products making their debut.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The Discovery Center offers exhibits, public programs, access to over 11 miles of trails and more.
    Rashad Alexander August 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Canva Moves Beyond Making Things Look Good Teachers already use Canva for presentations, worksheets, newsletters and much more.
    Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The suite includes Word for documents, Excel for spreadsheets and data analysis, PowerPoint for presentations, Outlook for email, OneNote for notes, and Access for database management.
    StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The organization has also published sixty-five books, set up twenty exhibitions, and staged over 300 programs within its own Clinton Hill home and across other venues.
    News Desk, Artforum, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Events range from film festivals and art exhibitions to corporate retreats, venture capital soirees, and cultural performances.
    Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In general, seek a perch with clear panoramas—such as a hilltop or open field instead of a thick forest.
    Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026
  • At the top of the residence, a rooftop deck offers 360-degree panoramas stretching from the Santa Monica Pier and Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 18 July 2026
Noun
  • The rumble combines lighting, music and choreography to create one of the show's biggest spectacles.
    Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The popularity of the Honey Deuce is still rising with several signature cocktails associated with the biggest spectacles in sports.
    Jason Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In those films, Nolan retained his auteurist fire while creating big, bold populist extravaganzas.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 21 July 2026
  • Today, her various closets are brimming with country clothes instead of the designer extravaganzas of yore.
    Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • But it was filled with quicksilver, roller-coaster displays of virtuosity and the sly humor Lutoslawski and fellow Polish composer and pianist Andrzej Panufnik brought to their Paganini variations in its original 1941 iteration.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The Army said advanced versions could have applications ranging from OLED displays and solar fuels to highly sensitive chemical sensors.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pageants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pageants. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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