tableau

noun

Definition of tableaunext
1
as in mise-en-scène

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2
as in spectacle

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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 tableau In case of what need not be spelled out when the series opens with a shocking tableau of gay bar owner Leo Struthers (Alan Cumming), the recipient of Melba’s speech, hanging by his neck from a streetlight outside his Manchester home. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 Campers were beginning to gather; here or there a phone lit a face out of the night like a pilgrim in a tenebrist tableau. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 The tableau, reminiscent of a bygone era, has likely played out here for centuries. — Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 The particularly sneaky thing in this tableau is the slices of cake sitting on a tray table. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tableau
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tableau
  1. backdrop
  2. spectacle
  3. scenery
  4. exhibition
  5. production
  6. presentation
  7. performance
  8. demonstration
Noun
  • Nairobi National Park is nearby—this must be the only city in Africa where wildlife roam against a backdrop of skyscrapers.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Apart, which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, explores the friendship between two boys against the backdrop of apartheid-era South Africa.
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of backdrop
Noun
  • Depp claimed the article damaged his reputation and career; both parties argued the other was the aggressor through the grueling six-week spectacle.
    — J. Kim Murphy, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2026
  • This year's promises to be even grander, as 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the spectacle, which started in 1924 (though it wasn’t held from 1942 to 1944 because parade materials were reserved for wartime efforts).
    — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of spectacle
Noun
  • That also means less risk, both to the staff and the delicate scenery.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Your right hand moves and the scenery begins flying past considerably faster.
    — Kevin Fanady, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of scenery
Noun
  • Sotheby’s in New York is getting a jump on the anniversary action by offering the revenge dress itself in a special auction in December, after an exhibition tour through London, Hong Kong, and Geneva.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Look, the statue was part of very high-profile exhibitions about the collector.
    — Kelley Engelbrecht, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of exhibition
Noun
  • Many songs here invert the notion of a ghost in the machine; Shy assumes the role of the femmebot on the fritz, while the productions—overseen by Karma Kid and Casey MQ—are like the contents of a fertile petri dish.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026
  • In 2024, Ferrara closed the North Chicago Jelly Belly factory and moved all production to a Fairfield, California, plant.
    — Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of production
Noun
  • Thursday's presentation on the data center is available here.
    — Doug Myers, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • For consulting and advisory businesses, the priority should be to make execution the core measure of success by replacing static presentations with delivery frameworks focused on measurable outcomes.
    — Vin Sonpal, Forbes.com, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of presentation
Noun
  • That happened Tuesday, when the QB-needy Vikings — coming off an embarrassing offensive performance Monday night in a 23-6 loss to Buffalo — sent a 2027 third-round draft pick to the Raiders for Cousins.
    — Mark Anderson, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2026
  • After dropping the first two games of the road trip in Atlanta and Dallas, the Nets turned in its best performance of the season.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of performance
Noun
  • The crowd below, fresh from a demonstration to protest education cuts by libertarian President Javier Milei, had stopped outside her apartment to chant her name.
    — Marina Dias, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026
  • How the machines respond to these situations could better indicate their practical capabilities than isolated demonstrations of individual movements.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of demonstration

Browse Nearby Words

table
tableau
tableaux
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Cite this Entry

“Tableau.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tableau. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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