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

Icon has 26 dining venues, including the jaunty Surfside Bites within the just-for-families Surfside district that’s also home to a splash park for little ones, a games arcade, a merry-go-round, and the Adventure Ocean kids club. —Kerry Spencer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024

Saturday's cartoons - merry-go-round, sleigh bells, and more Newsletter sign up By The Week US published 7 December 2024 Subscribe to The Week Escape your echo chamber. —The Week Us, theweek, 7 Dec. 2024

And the merry-go-round of yelps and vocal chops at its core gleam like Christmas morning. —Pitchfork, 5 Dec. 2024

Just look at the merry-go-round that has been Connor Bedard’s top line in the ongoing pursuit to get his offense on track. —Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Nov. 2024

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