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
Relevance
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
Unlike traditional pageants where contestants compete for the crown, Sapini was appointed Miss Universe Haiti 2025 on October 19 based on her pageant experience.
—
Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Unlike other pageants like Miss America, the Miss Universe competition does not have a talent portion in its lineup.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Many of them got their start in beauty pageants, from Erika Kirk (Miss Arizona) and Kristi Noem (South Dakota's Snow Queen) to deputy press secretary Anna Kelly (Miss State Fair of Virginia).
—Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
Some scholars have suggested that the boys were prized for their looks and conscripted into homoerotic pageants created by Christopher Marlowe.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Another albino Thai buffalo was sold in 2024 for 18 million baht ($672,000) after winning multiple pageants.
—CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Loren got her start in beauty pageants as a young girl before turning to acting in the 1950s.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
To support the early days of those charitable efforts, Frantzve turned to pageants.
—Shawn Raymundo, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Unlike other pageants like Miss America, the Miss Universe competition does not have a talent portion in its lineup.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Many of them got their start in beauty pageants, from Erika Kirk (Miss Arizona) and Kristi Noem (South Dakota's Snow Queen) to deputy press secretary Anna Kelly (Miss State Fair of Virginia).
—Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
Some scholars have suggested that the boys were prized for their looks and conscripted into homoerotic pageants created by Christopher Marlowe.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Another albino Thai buffalo was sold in 2024 for 18 million baht ($672,000) after winning multiple pageants.
—CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Loren got her start in beauty pageants as a young girl before turning to acting in the 1950s.
—Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
To support the early days of those charitable efforts, Frantzve turned to pageants.
—Shawn Raymundo, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pageants
Noun
-
Guest-favorite activities include bike light parades, karaoke, and paint nights.—
Maggie Downs,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
-
There’s a formal orange-tie ball, a giant pumpkin expo, ghost tours, zombie bar crawls, elaborate decoration contests and parades including Big Parade of Little People in Anoka’s quaint red-brick downtown.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The world is watching this and the other exhibits of a superpower going off the rails—and drawing conclusions.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The benefit will feature live entertainment, art activations, fine wine and cuisine, and an auction to support NUMU’s exhibits, educational programming and community work.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
During the award presentations on Tuesday, stories about each honoree were shared by Jon Stewart, the late-night talk show host, comedian and longtime first-responder advocate.—
Janice Phelan,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The 2025 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society, which took place October 21-25 in Orlando, included education sessions and presentations about women’s health, perimenopause and menopause.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The festival offers retrospective conversations, exhibitions, and special screenings, as well as a wide range of other competitions throughout the event.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Additional exhibitions and community dialogues will run through May 30, 2026.—
CHRISTINA MAYO,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
At Grandview Point, once the site of a 19th-century copper mine, visitors can enjoy sweeping panoramas and access the rugged Grandview Trail, originally built to haul ore out of the canyon.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That’s not to mention the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway and the bucket list-worthy trifecta of mountains called the Peaks of Otter, each of which lead to scenic summits for far-reaching panoramas.—
Erin Gifford,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Leading up to the Great American Eclipse, these safety spectacles became a bit hard to find, so buy them and more eclipse gear and merch early.—
Maya Silver,
Outside,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Kiss wouldn’t have another Top 10 until long after Frehley left in 1981, but the quartet’s albums continued to sell well as its arena concerts became spectacles.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The Sundance Film Festival, named for one of the actor’s most iconic characters, grew into a cornerstone of the film industry and eventually one of the most glitzy extravaganzas on the Hollywood social calendar, known as much for screenings as for executive deal-making and VIP parties.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The breakthrough marks a major step toward next-generation smart glasses and micro-displays, with potential impact across consumer electronics and medical devices.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Such emotional displays from dogs are not uncommon, according to similar moments often documented on social platforms.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pageants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pageants. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share