pageants

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The franchise grew out of Wong, Shih and Yin’s own experiences competing in and observing Asian beauty pageants and talent contests held across North America and Asia. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 Miss World is one of the longest-running international pageants, with events such as the ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ segment, the ‘Head-to-Head’ live debate and ‘Top Model’ runway section. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 The 2025 pageants aired on Queen Beauty Network following the May 2024 resignations of Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava. — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Amber Uhler, Miss Michigan USA For Amber Uhler, pageants are intertwined in a unique way with her health. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pageants
  1. parades
  2. exhibits
  3. presentations
  4. exhibitions
  5. panoramas
  6. spectacles
  7. extravaganzas
  8. displays
Noun
  • The plants grew in popularity in the first half of the 20th century because of their use as corsages at college homecoming parades and festivities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • We are used to the street closures, the factory shutdowns, the restrictions on driving and internet access during Communist Party conferences, international summits, Tiananmen Square military parades, and the visits of foreign dignitaries.
    — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of parades
Noun
  • Annotated divorce papers blown up and mounted, interactive exhibits detailing how your mom’s last round of chemo didn’t take, souvenir T-shirts emblazoned with your best friend’s last words before the car crash.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The open-plan, curvilinear design means the galleries are not fully divided, reinforcing the all-encompassing nature of the collection, though altogether the vast array of exhibits sometimes struggle for cohesiveness.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhibits
Noun
  • Place Vendôme serves as a place for leading maisons to unveil exhibitions and presentations, while emerging jewelry brands have tapped into attending tastemakers and buyers alongside the French and international press for visibility.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Users create nearly 3,000 presentations and 1,000 documents every minute, the company announced on Thursday.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of presentations
Noun
  • The historic home, a charming 1925 property, is open to visitors and houses rotating exhibitions.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • At Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, there are also concerts, exhibitions, and practices open to visitors.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhibitions
Noun
  • Three Fall Must-Dos Take in one of the best fall color panoramas at Brockway Mountain Lookout along Brockway Mountain Drive, linking Copper Harbor and Eagle Harbor, about an hour’s drive north from Houghton.
    — Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of panoramas
Noun
  • The one-off doc uses AI to tell the story of how Rome hosted wild spectacles for its citizens, featuring a range of exotic and dangerous wild animals.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The incident occurred days before Google announced its multi-year partnership with Beast Industries, a company founded by YouTube influencer Jimmy Donaldson, also known as his media personality MrBeast, who produces viral spectacles online.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of spectacles
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
Definition of extravaganzas
Noun
  • The Athletic decided to look at one of his international displays for Belgium’s under-19s, a goalless draw with Denmark in March.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The jury could hardly have missed the divisive displays outside the courthouse.
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of displays

Browse Nearby Words

pageantry
pageants
pageboy
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Cite this Entry

“Pageants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pageants. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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