CIRCUSES Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

circuses

noun

plural of circus

as in stadiums

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

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as in madhouses

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

as in pageants

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 circuses The idea of a 10% rate cap has all the seriousness of bread-and-circuses governance. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2026 Coaches don’t like media circuses, but Jones can’t wean himself off the attention. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025 Indeed, some of our oligarchs actually own the circuses. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 In terms of performances and safety, the Triton Troupers Circus is like other circuses. — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026 Signs discussing the use of Blackface and Minstrel music in traveling circuses were submitted. — Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026 Exotic animals were not typically a feature of carnivals; circuses, yes, but not carnivals. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 Other nominees included the Swiss yodelling, the handloom weaving technique used to make Bangladesh’s Tangail sarees, and Chile’s family circuses. — Paolo Santalucia, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025 The stark reality Stark toured with circuses until the late 1940s, when she was hired by Jungleland, a zoo located outside of Los Angeles. — Alessandro Meregaglia, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circuses

Noun

These include the people welcoming attendees into stadiums, VIP lounge chefs, waiters and the flagbearers during the opening ceremony.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
For homeowners near host stadiums, the tournament has turned spare bedrooms and second homes into prime real estate.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 July 2026

Definition of stadiums

Noun

Her daughters Charli, 6, and Lacie Lou, 4, have been competing in pageants since a very young age, with Charli making her stage debut at just 8 months old.

— Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Immersive museums, covered wagon campgrounds, pageants, and hands-on historical sites breathe life into Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books and make her characters come alive.

— Alicia Underlee Nelson, Midwest Living, 22 June 2026

Definition of pageants

Noun

Andrew Raftery Two forceful exhibitions have shown how Indian artists and presses met the cultural upheaval of the nineteenth century with lithographic prints that rendered Hindu gods more approachable and helped to galvanize national identity.

— The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
Alongside his acting career, Baker had, by the 1970s, established himself as a painter and sculpture with exhibitions in prominent galleries in Los Angeles, New York, and New England.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 4 July 2026

Definition of exhibitions

Noun

The report argues that the museum has deemphasized America’s founding, noting the absence of major exhibits devoted to the Founding Fathers or key events of the American Revolution as the country marks its 250th anniversary.

— Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Well, The Castle was really the Smithsonian for almost 30 years, that it was built in 1855, and all the research, all the exhibits, all the science was here.

— NBC news, NBC news, 5 July 2026

Definition of exhibits

Noun

McGregor has floated big-money boxing and bareknuckle spectacles, and recently claimed Terence Crawford turned down a nine-figure two-fight deal to face him.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Celebrity weddings are often grand spectacles, and Swift is a billionaire.

— Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 4 July 2026

Definition of spectacles

Noun

Then-Mayor John Lindsay had cut down on ticker-tape extravaganzas for financial and other reasons.

— Anthony Izaguirre, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Production’s involvement in paying for cast extravaganzas is something Monique brought up in a confessional interview during season 10.

— McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 1 Mar. 2026

Definition of extravaganzas

Noun

The patriotic spectaculars are part of the team’s celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.

— Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Pyrotechnic spectaculars thrill us with movement, surprise, poignant impermanence — and those qualities distinguish dance, as well.

— Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 June 2026

Definition of spectaculars

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circus

circuses

cirque

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“Circuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circuses. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of circuses

noun

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