freak show

noun

: an exhibition (such as a sideshow) featuring freaks of nature

Examples of freak 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.
Hollywood is a freak show and your job is to manage the animals. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2025 Baartman, was trafficked from South Africa by a British doctor to be paraded around Europe’s freak shows during the late 1700s. Essence, 25 Mar. 2025 She was inspired to start it after reading up on Sarah Baartman, a South African Khoikhoi woman who was ogled by Westerners during the 19th century as a freak show attraction in Europe. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 21 Mar. 2025 For the next 65 years, McCurdy’s corpse bounced around in the freak show Netherworld. Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for freak show

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of freak show was in 1887

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Cite this Entry

“Freak show.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freak%20show. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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