pageants

noun

plural of pageant
1
as in parades
a staged presentation often with music that consists of a procession of narrated or enacted scenes we always put on a Christmas pageant every year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in exhibits
an elaborate, visually exciting show or event an annual summertime pageant depicting the town's founding and colorful early history

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 pageants Because JonBenét had won several child beauty pageants, images of her in makeup and garish costumes created a spectacle around the case (which is still unsolved), and around the Ramseys. — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026 Sisic was crowned Miss Austria in 2024, and continued to hold the title as there were no further pageants after that, the outlets reported. — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026 Miss World is one of the longest-running international pageants, with events such as the ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ segment, the ‘Head-to-Head’ live debate and ‘Top Model’ runway section. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 The 2025 pageants aired on Queen Beauty Network following the May 2024 resignations of Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava. — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Venezuelan lawyer and designer Prince Julio César, director of Miss Universe Cuba, stated at the conclusion of the event that the finalists would continue working with the organization to prepare them for other beauty pageants. — Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 However, in 2025, the pageants aired on the Queen Beauty Network, which focuses on fashion, beauty, and pageant industries. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 JonBenét’s involvement in beauty pageants became fodder for tabloids, suspicion surrounded her parents even after they had been cleared as suspects, and numerous theories developed regarding who killed her. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026 And then there’d be pictures of Shelly and April onstage in the beauty pageants. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pageants
  1. parades
  2. exhibits
  3. presentations
  4. exhibitions
  5. panoramas
  6. spectacles
  7. extravaganzas
  8. displays
Noun
  • Seghers shows how the Nazis win over unemployed youth by hosting parades, concerts, and outdoor expeditions.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Larger-than-life Halloween celebrations rise up every October like the Great Pumpkin (or a benevolent spooky spirit or two) to captivate visitors with parades, caramel apples, costume contests, and more.
    — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of parades
Noun
  • Temporary exhibits have ranged from a look at American paintings in the 1930s to French art critic Guillaume Apollinaire.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Today the home to the New York Hall of Science, the outdoor exhibits includes the Rocket Park, where Gemini-Titan II and Mercury-Atlas D rockets and a Saturn V F-1 engine still stand.
    — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhibits
Noun
  • Another new addition this year is AFM House, which will feature four days of conversations, presentations and live demos of emerging technologies.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Their presentations revealed a patchwork of efforts, with municipalities and organizations moving ahead while seeking clearer coordination and financial commitments.
    — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of presentations
Noun
  • Entry to exhibitions will also be free for visitors aged 26 and under, among several other groups.
    — Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike most other recurring art exhibitions, Rubaiaya Qatar will be made up of three separate shows at three different institutions and will also include a public art component.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhibitions
Noun
  • The Forêt du Dom hike is a five- to six-hour loop through centuries-old cork oaks, while the sporty Les Hauts de Bormes trail delivers breathtaking coastal panoramas.
    — Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Three Fall Must-Dos Take in one of the best fall color panoramas at Brockway Mountain Lookout along Brockway Mountain Drive, linking Copper Harbor and Eagle Harbor, about an hour’s drive north from Houghton.
    — Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of panoramas
Noun
  • What readers are saying The comments reflect a strong opposition to the idea of live-streaming an execution, with many criticizing it as barbaric and likening it to historical spectacles of violence.
    — Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Once public spectacles, executions now occur privately inside prisons, with only a handful of official witnesses and a press pool.
    — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of spectacles
Noun
  • While dining venues are complimentary, elaborate food-and-wine pairing extravaganzas come with a fee.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In those films, Nolan retained his auteurist fire while creating big, bold populist extravaganzas.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of extravaganzas
Noun
  • Rows of officials sat behind computer screens while giant displays tracked the storm and the state’s response.
    — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Previous work on drone-control interfaces has explored tablet-like displays and supporting hardware that allow pilots to communicate mission instructions without significantly disrupting their primary flying duties.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of displays

Browse Nearby Words

pageantry
pageants
pageboy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pageants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pageants. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All