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
During the Great Migration in Tanzania’s famous Serengeti, wildebeest attempt a river crossing in one of nature’s most dramatic spectacles, but just a few dozen feet away, a bona fide traffic jam of safari vehicles crowds the riverbanks like paparazzi at a premiere.
—
Nicole Trilivas, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2026
But as production costs rose and financing grew more risk-averse, those ambitious historical spectacles gradually disappeared from the big screen, replaced by smaller auteur dramas, comedies and internationally portable genre films.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
But advertisers still need large-crowd spectacles,.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 May 2026
For a few minutes, the day will turn to twilight, the sun’s corona will appear, and one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles will unfold over a variety of spectacular landscapes.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Despite my declaration to the tourists onboard that the dragons’ goat slaughter spectacles were a bygone thing, an Indonesian government VIP was on the island that day, and to give him a show, the national park staff had brought the goats.
—Craig Stanford, Big Think, 7 May 2026
And then goes and gets spectacles!
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
In this production, reflective pauses become multimedia spectacles.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026
These sports spectacles should be a moment for City Hall to project competence, stability, and seriousness.
—Matt Klink, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Nicole Trilivas, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2026
But as production costs rose and financing grew more risk-averse, those ambitious historical spectacles gradually disappeared from the big screen, replaced by smaller auteur dramas, comedies and internationally portable genre films.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
But advertisers still need large-crowd spectacles,.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 May 2026
For a few minutes, the day will turn to twilight, the sun’s corona will appear, and one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles will unfold over a variety of spectacular landscapes.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Despite my declaration to the tourists onboard that the dragons’ goat slaughter spectacles were a bygone thing, an Indonesian government VIP was on the island that day, and to give him a show, the national park staff had brought the goats.
—Craig Stanford, Big Think, 7 May 2026
And then goes and gets spectacles!
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
In this production, reflective pauses become multimedia spectacles.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026
These sports spectacles should be a moment for City Hall to project competence, stability, and seriousness.
—Matt Klink, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spectacles
glass
Noun
-
Handy amenities include toothbrushes, (glass) bottled sparkling and still water, and built-in worldwide plug adapters.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
-
The actors were greeted by the exhibition’s curator, Robin McClellan, who led them to Mozart’s childhood violin, encased in glass.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spectacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spectacles. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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