1
as in stadium
a large usually roofless building for sporting events with tiers of seats for spectators
the Roman circus is believed to have held 50,000 spectators in ancient times
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in madhouse
a place of uproar or confusion
with seven kids in the house, it's a circus most of the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pageant
an elaborate, visually exciting show or event
the media circus that took place outside the courthouse every day of the murder trial
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 circus
Of course, the design and insect environment is mainly a framework for astonishing circus acts.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2025
With its new strength, the AfD is expected to use its numbers to turn debate in the Bundestag, the German parliament, into more of an angry, ugly circus, much as MAGA legislators have done in the U.S. Congress.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2025
Super American Circus: Located in the PIC Resort, the Super American Circus is a 90-minute modern one-ring circus that showcases some of the best acts in the world.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, the movie has embedded itself into the Formula 1 world championship as the crew have followed the circus around the world to be included in its race weekends.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circus
Noun
-
Tickets for the new stadium dates in New York and Miami will go on sale at 10 a.m. local time on April 7 via LiveNation.com.—
-
Fans roared, and grew louder as new stadium lighting effects as well as fireworks accompanied Wilson’s trip around the bases.—
Noun
-
Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye Welcome to the madhouse.—
-
Life around the office, which included a basketball court and beer on tap, was a preview of the headquarters-as-madhouse ethos soon to dominate Silicon Valley.—
Noun
-
The couple met in a fitness class in 2007 while attending Auburn University, where Lindsay, a former beauty queen in local pageants around her home town of Dothan, Ala., was a cheerleader, and Robert, a Georgia native, was a long snapper on the football team.—
-
In ancient Persia, the charming Jewish orphan for whom the book is named wins King Ahasuerus’s beauty pageant and becomes queen of a massive empire, while keeping her Jewishness secret.—
Noun
-
The lush, five-star, Orange County resort also boasts a striking coliseum pool, ocean-view golf, a handful of bar and dining establishments and plenty of picturesque walking paths.—
-
Ridley Scott’s epic return to the coliseum also missed out on best director and leading man, although Denzel Washington — who has never been BAFTA-nominated before — did get a supporting actor slot.—
Noun
-
Take Laurent Garnier, who played the song to a gleeful Barcelona crowd shortly after its release, sending them and more than 70,000 viewers into bedlam.—
-
For example, India—a huge market for most products, services and technologies—may not exactly be ready for a robotaxi (dense population, rules and regulations, traffic bedlams, etc.).—
Noun
-
Multidisciplinary artist Melissa Meier, whose work is featured in the Daphne’s Wardrobe exhibit at Descanso Gardens, leads a class in using natural materials to create wearable art.—
-
The pair shared a hug and a chat before going into the gallery for a reception celebrating Friend, an art exhibit that benefited Sentebale.—
Noun
-
Featuring display panels, interactive digital kiosks, unique artifacts, and primary accounts, the exhibition utilizes storytelling, illustration and cutting-edge technology to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the nation’s birth.—
-
His art has been showcased in exhibitions, including a notable gallery show in New York, cementing his status as a multifaceted artist.—
Noun
-
Buckle up for this globe-trotting, CGI-heavy adventure that combines apocalyptic spectacle and family drama in the least pretentious way possible.—
-
The red carpet, staged across from the theater’s towering marquee, had its own spectacle.—
Cite this Entry
“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circus. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share