variants
or carney
or carnie
plural carnies or carneys
often attributive
2
: a person who works with a carnival
Examples of carny in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The carny’s clockwork arrival honored an event even kids as small as Pontiac knew.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
The rock-and-roll manager proper, or improper, really begins with Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the former carny with the omnipresent cigar, nodding, winking, and fanning his latest flame into a global conflagration.
—Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
McGee’s Southern voice is boyish and boisterous as befits the carny atmosphere of the minors and his own youthful excitement at playing a part behind the scenes at a storied ballpark.
—Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 25 May 2023
The carny can use a hidden switch to force the balls to bounce out of the basket.
—WIRED, 23 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for carny 
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.
Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
The rock-and-roll manager proper, or improper, really begins with Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the former carny with the omnipresent cigar, nodding, winking, and fanning his latest flame into a global conflagration.
—Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
McGee’s Southern voice is boyish and boisterous as befits the carny atmosphere of the minors and his own youthful excitement at playing a part behind the scenes at a storied ballpark.
—Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 25 May 2023
The carny can use a hidden switch to force the balls to bounce out of the basket.
—WIRED, 23 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for carny
Dictionary Entries Near carny
Cite this Entry
“Carny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carny. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share