sideshow

noun

side·​show ˈsīd-ˌshō How to pronounce sideshow (audio)
1
: a minor show offered in addition to a main exhibition (as of a circus)
2
: an incidental diversion or spectacle

Examples of sideshow in a Sentence

Their disagreement is just a political sideshow when compared to the real issues at hand.
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.
The sheriff’s office and the California Highway Patrol started getting calls about a person who allegedly had been shot during a sideshow near Prunedale Road South at Blackie Road around 10:25 p.m., the sheriff’s office said. Bay City News Service, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024 Another brings Hermès trunks to mind, and another, with its woven purple bedspread, has an entire wall given over to a vintage mural promoting a tattooed bull at a Coney Island sideshow. Ann Abel, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024 The future of big tech, by comparison, is a sideshow—but a fraught one. Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024 The question becomes whether Tesla knows something about how Musk’s political sideshow is affecting share value—and failing to offer that up in response to persistent shareholder questions. Byjenn Brice, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sideshow 

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sideshow was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near sideshow

Cite this Entry

“Sideshow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideshow. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sideshow

noun
side·​show -ˌshō How to pronounce sideshow (audio)
: a small show off to the side offered in addition to a main show (as of a circus)

More from Merriam-Webster on sideshow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!