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
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Recent Examples of pageants
Loren got her start in beauty pageants as a young girl before turning to acting in the 1950s.
—
Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 3 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, closer to home, at the Glock Horse Performance Center in Austria, Kathrin put together a series of lavish Horses & Stars pageants.
—Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Armando Labrador writes songs, holds beauty pageants and leads a group of dissidents who stage protests in Havana.
—Michael Smith, Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026
Sewing my costumes, making my evening gowns for pageants.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
The state and national pageants showcase the talents, brains and looks of the woman synonymous with American beauty.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The beauty queen won five pageants — Miss West Coast, Miss Nuestra Belleza USA, Miss Fresno County, Miss Regional West and Miss California Congeniality.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
She is also credited as the music supervisor for the NAACP Image Awards and several Miss Universe pageants, most recently in 2023.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 26 Jan. 2026
Their work included filming weddings, dance performances, theatrical productions and local pageants at venues throughout San Diego County.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 3 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, closer to home, at the Glock Horse Performance Center in Austria, Kathrin put together a series of lavish Horses & Stars pageants.
—Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Armando Labrador writes songs, holds beauty pageants and leads a group of dissidents who stage protests in Havana.
—Michael Smith, Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026
Sewing my costumes, making my evening gowns for pageants.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
The state and national pageants showcase the talents, brains and looks of the woman synonymous with American beauty.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The beauty queen won five pageants — Miss West Coast, Miss Nuestra Belleza USA, Miss Fresno County, Miss Regional West and Miss California Congeniality.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
She is also credited as the music supervisor for the NAACP Image Awards and several Miss Universe pageants, most recently in 2023.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 26 Jan. 2026
Their work included filming weddings, dance performances, theatrical productions and local pageants at venues throughout San Diego County.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pageants
Noun
-
Nazi parades set to electronic hype music; paeans to Third Reich governance.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Well we wasn't allowed to go to those big parades and stuff.—
Nichole Marks,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The team announced on Wednesday plans for interactive exhibits, live programming, shopping experiences, and sweepstakes tied to the draft.—
Barry Pintar,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Kids will love exploring the Charles and Linda Williams Children's Museum, which is filled with hands-on educational exhibits.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Venture capital meetings, accelerator demo days and even corporate board presentations often hinge on short, high-stakes interactions where impressions of the leader quickly become impressions of the venture.—
Paul Sanchez Ruiz,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Each of the presentations was a finalist for the conference’s hackathon competition.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Founded in Santa Fe as an art collective in 2008, Meow Wolf has since opened exhibitions in Texas, Denver and the most popular location in Las Vegas.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
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And that the artists who are fortunate enough to show in them aren’t making decisions about who else gets exhibitions in them.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The various sights at the castle – a decent history museum, frescoed chapel, old-fashioned printing press, and wine cellar – are cute, but the real reason to come up here is to bask in the sweeping panoramas.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Apr. 2026
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Enjoy a meal or snack at Mkutano House, Elephant Valley’s open-air dining experience where snacks and meals come with a side of gorgeous panoramas of the pond and savanna.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Indeed, Coachella’s other two headliners, Bad Bunny and Blackpink, put on elaborate main-stage spectacles over the weekend that by most accounts left fans feeling both stimulated and satisfied.—
Vanessa Franko,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell of Lume are handling puppetry and movement — a detail that will immediately make fans wonder what creatures or spectacles might appear onstage.—
Ryan Brennan
April 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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The public displays of control are happening amid an internal bureaucratic collapse.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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As the Orion capsule was pulling away from Earth late Thursday, April 2, 2026, commander Reid Wiseman captured a stunning view of the home planet, showing northern Africa, the Strait of Gibraltar, the lush coast of Brazil across the Atlantic Ocean and shimmering auroral displays over the poles.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pageants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pageants. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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