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

Haider Ackermann Is Announced As Tom Ford’s New Creative Director Creative directors keep playing musical chairs at luxury and mainstream brands, but this appointment seems much more intentional. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 6 Sep. 2024

After all, musical chairs is an easier game when there are fewer people trying to find a chair. —Binyamin Appelbaum, The Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2024

This extra, low-effort step makes guests feel especially welcome, as well as nips any potential musical chairs awkwardness in the bud. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2024

For example, swap paper or cardboard targets for seats, and musical chairs can become musical frogs on lily pads, dogs in dog houses, butterflies on flowers, bumblebees in hives, and so on. —Catherine Holecko, Parents, 30 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above