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 Signs of this history were on display amid all the adventurous modern art that made Mandell’s home seem like an elegant, circus-like wonderland. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 The setting was a dining room decked out in oversized circus masks, bunting, garlands, and colorful lights, Ideal Home reported. — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 There are also witch storytelling sessions, circus workshops and the popular Pip and Posy trail. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 8 Oct. 2026 That includes everything from a Leonard Cohen tribute from Avourneen’s Adam Goldstein to plays, authors, live music, experimental circus, comedy, dance and even a Jewish Dating Game. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 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
  • They’re then forced to compete in a beauty pageant, wearing lingerie and swimsuits, which Galán considers to be the ultimate motivator.
    — Jolene Edgar, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Desperate to regain her dominance while dazzling pageant recruiter Eloise Amponsah (Tony Award winner Patina Miller), who was Miss Ghana 1966, Paulina launches a campaign to crush Ericka’s spirit and dash her chances in the spotlight.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of pageant
Noun
  • Morocco hopes to host the 2030 World Cup final in a 115,000-capacity stadium under construction near Casablanca and has been lauded for its player development through its Mohamed VI Academy, an advanced training complex.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Rays played their 2025 home games across the bay in Tampa at the New York Yankees’ spring training complex, got new ownership before this season and secured a new stadium deal to be ready in 2029 near the NFL’s Buccaneers.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of stadium
Noun
  • There wasn’t quite as much Phillies bedlam in Georgia on Wednesday.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But this is preposterous, this is insanity, this is the very essence of bedlam.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of bedlam
Noun
  • Major museums, including the Louvre, the Orsay Museum, the Picasso Museum and the Grand Palais — where a major Cézanne exhibit is on display — were shuttered Saturday.
    — Richard Engel, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The exhibition celebrates these workers, many of them immigrants, through exhibits like the photographs of Robert Doisneau, who worked for Renault full-time from 1934 to 1939.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhibit
Noun
  • The center will remove 2,000 spaces from its lot that is frequently used for coliseum events.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
  • On the afternoon of commencement, in May, about a thousand people filed into the United Supermarkets Arena, the basketball coliseum where Texas Tech confers its law degrees.
    — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of coliseum
Noun
  • The exhibition highlights how trade routes connected the Arabian Gulf, East Africa, India, China, and Southeast Asia through the exchange of spices, pearls, textiles, jewelry, and religious beliefs.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The property has partnered with Villa del Arte, an international contemporary gallery, to create an exhibition program that extends from a dedicated indoor space into the gardens and terraces.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhibition
Noun
  • The film is a wild, frequently grotesque spectacle that careens between horror, action, slapstick, and black comedy.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
  • All kinds of films, from big-budget spectacles to art house dramas, are stretching their runtimes.
    — Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about circus

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