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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 three-ring circus
As real estate agent Greg, Matt Rogers makes for a delightful ringmaster of this three-ring circus.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024
The chords and harmonies of Williams' music sound similar to the poppy anthems of that cinematic three-ring circus, and the choreography team of Ashley Wallen and Jenny Griffin reunite with Gracey to contextualize Williams' worldwide hits with new dance numbers.
—EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
The household in the 1970s was routinely described as a three-ring circus filled with rowdy kids, lost pets and haggard servants who often quit in frustration, saying Ethel was difficult to work for.
—Valerie J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
Democrats, who slammed the impeachment inquiry as a political stunt, described the Republican conference as a three-ring circus.
—Marianna Sotomayor, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Amy B Wang, Jacqueline Alemany, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for three-ring circus
Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024
The chords and harmonies of Williams' music sound similar to the poppy anthems of that cinematic three-ring circus, and the choreography team of Ashley Wallen and Jenny Griffin reunite with Gracey to contextualize Williams' worldwide hits with new dance numbers.
—EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024
The household in the 1970s was routinely described as a three-ring circus filled with rowdy kids, lost pets and haggard servants who often quit in frustration, saying Ethel was difficult to work for.
—Valerie J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
Democrats, who slammed the impeachment inquiry as a political stunt, described the Republican conference as a three-ring circus.
—Marianna Sotomayor, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Amy B Wang, Jacqueline Alemany, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for three-ring circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for three-ring circus
Noun
-
Good morning from Los Angeles, On a circus of a night at Dodger Stadium, the home team emptied out its clown car full of pitchers to beat the Padres once again.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 June 2025
-
President Trump and his flying circus are about to meet the consequences of unleashing krakens in their first 100 days.—
Clem Chambers,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
The madhouse of awards season and all its many, many controversies — not to mention an ongoing parade of natural and man-made disasters — has until now perhaps overshadowed some of the year’s lower-stakes joys.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
-
But things move fast in the Goodison madhouse.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The bedlam accompanying the group’s distribution practices, aid workers say, was entirely predictable.—
Bilal Shbeir,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
-
Hand 103, Bethel, 102 ½. There was bedlam, Hand kids screaming and jumping and yelling and hugging each other.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Three-ring circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/three-ring%20circus. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share