merry-go-round

noun

mer·​ry-go-round ˈmer-ē-gō-ˌrau̇nd 

-gə-

1

a

: an amusement park ride with seats often in the form of animals (such as horses) revolving about a fixed center

The children grabbed each other by the hand and danced off in the direction of the merry-go-round, toward the wonderful music and the wonderful adventure and the wonderful excitement …

—E. B. White

called also carousel

b

: a children's playground apparatus consisting of a platform that revolves about a fixed center

And every day at recess, Reuben would push us on the merry-go-round on the playground. He would push us really fast, and we all thought Reuben made recess great fun—as long as we held on tight and didn't fall off as we whirled around.

—Terri Auchter

2

: a cycle of activity that is complex, fast-paced, or difficult to break out of

the corporate merry-go-round

Synonyms

• circle
• cycle
• round
• wheel
• zodiac

Examples of merry-go-round in a Sentence

weary of the daily merry-go-round of commuting to his job in the city

Recent Examples on the Web

Go deeper: What to know about the plane crash victims Tariff merry-go-round 🧮 Tariffs were coming on Saturday: 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, alongside 10% tariffs on China. —Natalie Daher, Axios, 1 Feb. 2025

Half marathon participants will meander through the park on a path with minimal hills, taking them past the merry-go-round, L.A. Zoo and more. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025

The merry-go-round, as Jackson calls it, is inescapable when discussing this Australian project. —Beren Cross, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025

But with many industry folks eyeing a potential media merger merry-go-round as 2025 begins, THR is taking a look at some Wall Street analysts’ dealmaking ideas and scenarios. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1729, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

merry-go-round

noun

mer·​ry-go-round

ˈmer-ē-gō-ˌrau̇nd,

-gə-

1

: a circular revolving platform fitted with seats and figures of animals on which people sit for a ride

2

: a rapid round of activities : whirl

a merry-go-round of parties