dog and pony show

noun

: an often elaborate public relations or sales presentation
also : an elaborate or overblown affair or event

Examples of dog and pony show in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet, in the view of some, this is a dog and pony show, and Sundance just really wants to get the state of Utah to put up more money for the festival to stay. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 June 2024 Hollywood is literally singing for its supper, and ad tiers have found their way into every major streamer — two of them, Amazon and Netflix, participating in this dog and pony show for the very first time. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 May 2024 Still, not prospect is invited to Vegas along with hockey’s elite for the NHL’s dog and pony show. Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023 This dog and pony show three months later is a cynical move, implying that those who make such decisions don’t believe Alabama or Auburn fans will show up for a basketball game if there’s no football connection. Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 13 Feb. 2020 That meant the company bypassed the dog and pony show that comes with more typical IPOs, in which companies reveal extensive financial information and work with a major bank to go public. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 17 Jan. 2020 This Scottish island group is a real dog and pony show. Ken Jennings, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2018 What then transpired might have been one of the biggest dog and pony shows that amounted to nothing. Stephen A. Crockett Jr., The Root, 22 June 2018 The annual dog and pony show that is the TV upfronts kicks off on Monday, but among the ticker tape cannons and smoke machines, this year’s bonanza also looks set to be shrouded in a cloud of confusion. Lara O’Reilly, WSJ, 10 May 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dog and pony show was in 1949

Dictionary Entries Near dog and pony show

Cite this Entry

“Dog and pony show.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog%20and%20pony%20show. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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