as in circus
a place of uproar or confusion
the house has been a three-ring circus ever since the kids got back from summer camp
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Recent Examples of three-ring circus
This Florida City Is Home to a 105-year-old Fish Market, White-sand Beaches, and a Beautiful Opera House
Speaking of the pool, it is shaped like a series of three connecting circles reminiscent of a three-ring circus and features an elevated sun deck.
—
Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2025
So much is packed in that The Slip feels more like a three-ring circus than a 12-round match.
—Book Marks
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
The song uses a three-ring circus to explain the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 12 Feb. 2025
The other is an unranked unicorn, most at home in the middle ring of a three-ring circus.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for three-ring circus
Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2025
So much is packed in that The Slip feels more like a three-ring circus than a 12-round match.
—Book Marks
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
The song uses a three-ring circus to explain the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 12 Feb. 2025
The other is an unranked unicorn, most at home in the middle ring of a three-ring circus.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for three-ring circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for three-ring circus
Noun
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Yes, one of those famous circus tents is pitched right in our South Bay backyard.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
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While the atmosphere should be equal parts raucous and circus at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, the Spurs are desperate to win a basketball game in the middle of it all.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Headphones are often my saving grace in this madhouse.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In practice, this means a madhouse of multimedia rooms, packed with gurgling videos and useless machines and humanoid bodies.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Soon enough, Rosie and Kelsey are screaming at each other again and bedlam breaks out.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
25 May 2026
-
The Montreal Canadiens can book their ticket to the Eastern Conference final Saturday night in what will be absolute bedlam in that arena after taking care of business on the road yet again.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Three-ring circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/three-ring%20circus. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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