1
as in stadium
a large usually roofless building for sporting events with tiers of seats for spectators
the Roman circus is believed to have held 50,000 spectators in ancient times
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in madhouse
a place of uproar or confusion
with seven kids in the house, it's a circus most of the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pageant
an elaborate, visually exciting show or event
the media circus that took place outside the courthouse every day of the murder trial
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of circus
The bad news circus began with a report from Billboard suggesting that sales of the format had in fact dropped by a massive 33.3% compared to 2023.
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Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2024
Peru became a destination for circus fans, but the industry began to decline during the Great Depression.
—Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Oct. 2024
But even better than any of these hilarious quotes was the fact that they were all delivered over that goofy Survivor circus music that the show likes to employ in the background when someone is dishing out some of the most oblivious one-liners in franchise history.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Another story says that circus people, who worked for the Ringling brothers, cast a spell that’s kept Sarasota safe from these storms for generations.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for circus 
Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2024
Peru became a destination for circus fans, but the industry began to decline during the Great Depression.
—Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Oct. 2024
But even better than any of these hilarious quotes was the fact that they were all delivered over that goofy Survivor circus music that the show likes to employ in the background when someone is dishing out some of the most oblivious one-liners in franchise history.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Another story says that circus people, who worked for the Ringling brothers, cast a spell that’s kept Sarasota safe from these storms for generations.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circus
Noun
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In the stadium, just a trickle of fans turned out for the match, which ended in a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes.Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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Maccabi supporters reportedly booed in the stadium during a minute's silence for victims of the floods in Spain.Harriet Marsden, The Week UK, theweek, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye Welcome to the madhouse.Vulture, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2022
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Life around the office, which included a basketball court and beer on tap, was a preview of the headquarters-as-madhouse ethos soon to dominate Silicon Valley.Alex Williams, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2022
Noun
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Lensed by Tina Barney, the shoot depicts Ratajkowski in a beauty pageant.Hannah Malach, WWD, 2 Nov. 2024
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That’s why Elle’s character and Pete Seeger, Edward’s character, and Joan Baez, of course, and many others are more than just passing through in a kind of Hall of Presidents pageant.Shania Russell, EW.com, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The second stop is Expo Park/USC, that leaves you even closer to the coliseum, about a 4-minute walk. Coliseum officials recommend that riders purchase a $3.50 round-trip fare at the beginning of their trip to avoid ticket lines when the events are over.Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
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Housed in the basement of the coliseum, Underhill offers 40,000 square feet of ghouls and ghosts that are suitable for all ages, according to its website.Kale Williams, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The idea is to bring an irreverent, underground, at times almost Dada-ist sensibility to network television, but that also means surrounding himself with people whose own factory settings are bedlam and cynicism.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024
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One is Mayhem in the Madness, which is all about chaos, bedlam and havoc, while Startled Darkness is perfect for those who claim to not be afraid of the dark.Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 24 Sep. 2024
Noun
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This particularly came into the spotlight two years ago, when a one-of-a-kind exhibit landed in New York City.Andrea Bossi, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
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In 2022, alongside luminary directors, Martin Scorsese, Tom Ford, Chloe Zhao and Julie Dash, Radha was invited by The Met Costume Institute to reimagine one of its period rooms for the ‘In America’ exhibit.Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The In Full Colour: Dale Chihuly exhibition, is carefully set within the lush rainforest environment of the Botanical Garden’s Bicentennial Conservatory, and gives visitors an up-close and personal look at Chihuly's creations.Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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The new exhibition focuses on the brief stretch of time before the Black Death took hold.Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Spanning three consecutive nights from November 1 to November 3, the concerts drew music lovers and Swifties to witness a spectacle in the heart of downtown Indianapolis.David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
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The finale was a significant step up from the end of WandaVision, for that matter, sticking with character work over spectacle.Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near circus
Cite this Entry
“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circus. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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