as in glass
a pair of lenses set in a frame that is held in place with ear supports and which are usually worn to correct vision
bought a pair of spectacles with nonprescription lenses simply to look more intelligent
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Recent Examples of spectacles
My lack of Portuguese comprehension skills can’t stop me from enjoying these spectacles of audiovisual harmony.
—
Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
Man bun, spectacles, house slippers.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
With his leading-man looks nerded down with spectacles, science T-shirts and a planet Earth hacky sack, Gosling portrays Grace as a teacher way out of his element amid hardcore NASA types.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Ravi stands some feet away, in a space all to himself, looking serious in his spectacles.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
What Gyllenhaal’s movie shares with far less substantial big-budget spectacles is the delivery of effects without causes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
So far, 2026 has offered up some celestial spectacles, including a total lunar eclipse and a planetary parade.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Rather than focusing on the shiny diversions of loud spectacles, Americans might take a few moments this year to explore the parallels between our current condition and the detailed indictment of particulars that Thomas Jefferson laid out against the king of England in 1776.
—Edwin C. Yohnka, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
On state television, Khamenei projected an avuncular demeanor, his spectacles framing a sharp gaze.
—Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
Man bun, spectacles, house slippers.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
With his leading-man looks nerded down with spectacles, science T-shirts and a planet Earth hacky sack, Gosling portrays Grace as a teacher way out of his element amid hardcore NASA types.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Ravi stands some feet away, in a space all to himself, looking serious in his spectacles.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
What Gyllenhaal’s movie shares with far less substantial big-budget spectacles is the delivery of effects without causes.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
So far, 2026 has offered up some celestial spectacles, including a total lunar eclipse and a planetary parade.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Rather than focusing on the shiny diversions of loud spectacles, Americans might take a few moments this year to explore the parallels between our current condition and the detailed indictment of particulars that Thomas Jefferson laid out against the king of England in 1776.
—Edwin C. Yohnka, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
On state television, Khamenei projected an avuncular demeanor, his spectacles framing a sharp gaze.
—Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectacles
glass
Noun
-
There are bespoke statement headboards and Murano glass chandeliers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Alarmed civic officials across the West have already begun ordering restrictions on watering lawns, cleaning cars and even whether restaurant patrons get served glasses of water.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spectacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectacles. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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