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

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2
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of circus Of course, the design and insect environment is mainly a framework for astonishing circus acts. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2025 With its new strength, the AfD is expected to use its numbers to turn debate in the Bundestag, the German parliament, into more of an angry, ugly circus, much as MAGA legislators have done in the U.S. Congress. Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2025 Super American Circus: Located in the PIC Resort, the Super American Circus is a 90-minute modern one-ring circus that showcases some of the best acts in the world. Roger Sands, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 Starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, the movie has embedded itself into the Formula 1 world championship as the crew have followed the circus around the world to be included in its race weekends. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circus
Noun
  • Regarding clothing, the capsule encompasses five apparel pieces, including a stadium jacket, two hoodies, wide-leg statement pants, and a thermal tee.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Tickets for the new stadium dates in New York and Miami will go on sale at 10 a.m. local time on April 7 via LiveNation.com.
    Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye Welcome to the madhouse.
    Vulture, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2022
  • 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
  • Smith, who ran her own pet grooming business, devoted herself entirely to Piper’s pageant pursuits.
    Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • About 500 attendees showed up at Olive Peirce to support their favorites at the evening session of the pageant, where the young women were tested on their public speaking abilities, knowledge of current events and professional rodeo and evening wear.
    Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The lush, five-star, Orange County resort also boasts a striking coliseum pool, ocean-view golf, a handful of bar and dining establishments and plenty of picturesque walking paths.
    Dahvi Shira, Forbes, 5 Feb. 2025
  • Ridley Scott’s epic return to the coliseum also missed out on best director and leading man, although Denzel Washington — who has never been BAFTA-nominated before — did get a supporting actor slot.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 3 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Take Laurent Garnier, who played the song to a gleeful Barcelona crowd shortly after its release, sending them and more than 70,000 viewers into bedlam.
    Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2025
  • For example, India—a huge market for most products, services and technologies—may not exactly be ready for a robotaxi (dense population, rules and regulations, traffic bedlams, etc.).
    Punnam Raju Manthena, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Multidisciplinary artist Melissa Meier, whose work is featured in the Daphne’s Wardrobe exhibit at Descanso Gardens, leads a class in using natural materials to create wearable art.
    Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The small museum was created in 2016, dedicated to the nation’s environmental history, and included exhibits about prevention measures during the Covid-19 pandemic, environmental justice, and efforts to address climate change.
    Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Featuring display panels, interactive digital kiosks, unique artifacts, and primary accounts, the exhibition utilizes storytelling, illustration and cutting-edge technology to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the nation’s birth.
    Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Smithsonian American Art Museum The exhibition points out that at the time, Italian, Eastern European and Jewish immigrants were often not considered white.
    Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Buckle up for this globe-trotting, CGI-heavy adventure that combines apocalyptic spectacle and family drama in the least pretentious way possible.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • The red carpet, staged across from the theater’s towering marquee, had its own spectacle.
    Antonio Ferme, Variety, 5 Apr. 2025

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“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circus. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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