circus

noun

ˈsər-kəs How to pronounce circus (audio)
Definition of circusnext
1
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
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

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 After facing criticism for selling a children’s circus clown Halloween costume that critics claimed evoked blackface and minstrel shows, Target has publicly apologized. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026 Her vision, re-created for the tour by Ryan Emmons, is a magical circus dreamscape where Jacob’s memories bend, stretch and soar through the starlit space of the proscenium stage with dramatic lighting by Bradley King. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 Path to coexistence At Ar-Rihiya, a village of squat homes built along the slopes of a steep hill, hundreds have gathered for the makeshift circus set up under a black tarp. — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026 Tickets are available online on the circus troupe’s website and Golden 1 Center’s website. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circus
  1. madhouse
  2. pageant
  3. stadium
  4. bedlam
  5. exhibit
  6. coliseum
  7. exhibition
  8. spectacle
Noun
  • Whereas this evening in the Spanish Gothic madhouse of the United Theater, most every song from Melanie’s Hadean pageant is received with near word-perfect communalism.
    — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 13 July 2026
  • Headphones are often my saving grace in this madhouse.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of madhouse
Noun
  • In the 2000 comedy movie, Bullock’s Gracie Hart/Gracie Lou Freebush is named runner-up in the Miss United States pageant, and her close friend and Miss Rhode Island Cheryl (Heather Burns) is crowned the winner.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The franchise grew out of Wong, Shih and Yin’s own experiences competing in and observing Asian beauty pageants and talent contests held across North America and Asia.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pageant
Noun
  • The decision comes at a pivotal time as the council wrestles with a host of issues from a new Royals stadium to housing concerns.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Wildcats are one of four teams selected to play at the historic baseball stadium to cap off the sport's inaugural Big Ten/SEC challenge.
    — Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of stadium
Noun
  • Against this bedlam, Rhaenyra tries to fashion herself a real queen.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
  • The scene around me was one of utter bedlam, with stadium officials even joining in the celebrations.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
Definition of bedlam
Noun
  • The exhibit’s lessons in anatomy include explanations of bodily functions and why, for example, one lung is larger than the other in humans.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Emails filed as an exhibit in Doe’s case show that a lawyer representing the Syracuse Police Department suggested that Stengel focus his search on that ZIP code.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhibit
Noun
  • Four years earlier, a leaner and healthier Elvis played a much better concert at this same coliseum.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The move to North Main Street brought more Stockyards visitors and cowboys headed to Billy Bob’s Texas or the coliseum rodeos.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 July 2026
Definition of coliseum
Noun
  • At Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, there are also concerts, exhibitions, and practices open to visitors.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The baseball player, entertainer and social media personality rose to fame with the exhibition barnstorming baseball team, which puts on dance routines, comedy sketches and more.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhibition
Noun
  • The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.
    — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • And while the hotel was certainly a different kind of spectacle—tamer and more refined than its Cafe counterparts—there was always another corner left to discover, or a new extension to look forward to on the next visit.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of spectacle

Phrases Containing circus

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circumvents
circus
circuses
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Cite this Entry

“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circus. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on circus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about circus

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