musical chairs
noun
plural in form but singular in construction
: a game in which players march to music around a row of chairs numbering one less than the players and scramble for seats when the music stops
also
: a situation or series of events suggesting the game of musical chairs (as in rapid change or confusing activity)
Examples of musical chairs in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s a tad too many and playing musical chairs with coaches at this point — regardless of who is available — isn’t a smart play at all.
—
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2025
In the final week of the 2024-25 regular season, the Western Conference seeding is still a game of musical chairs, with 2.5 games separating third from eighth place before Minnesota and Memphis play Thursday night.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Every so often, these major fashion houses play musical chairs with their creative directors, moving white men around like interchangeable Monopoly pieces, leaving the industry buzzing.
—Kedean Smith, Essence, 3 Apr. 2025
Naturally, the players then do their best to interrupt the riddle, with Eva Erickson holding out hope that a game of musical chairs could be in the cards.
—EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for musical chairs
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.
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2025
In the final week of the 2024-25 regular season, the Western Conference seeding is still a game of musical chairs, with 2.5 games separating third from eighth place before Minnesota and Memphis play Thursday night.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Every so often, these major fashion houses play musical chairs with their creative directors, moving white men around like interchangeable Monopoly pieces, leaving the industry buzzing.
—Kedean Smith, Essence, 3 Apr. 2025
Naturally, the players then do their best to interrupt the riddle, with Eva Erickson holding out hope that a game of musical chairs could be in the cards.
—EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for musical chairs
Cite this Entry
“Musical chairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musical%20chairs. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share