carny

noun

car·​ny ˈkär-nē How to pronounce carny (audio)
variants or carney or carnie
plural carnies or carneys
often attributive
1
2
: a person who works with a carnival

Examples of carny in a Sentence

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.
As fun as watching modern-day WWE shows is, doing a deep dive into wrestling's weird, sometimes tragic history and carny origins gives you a deeper respect for how much wrestlers and the business have evolved since the early 20th century. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025 The carny’s clockwork arrival honored an event even kids as small as Pontiac knew. Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024 The rock-and-roll manager proper, or improper, really begins with Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the former carny with the omnipresent cigar, nodding, winking, and fanning his latest flame into a global conflagration. Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024 McGee’s Southern voice is boyish and boisterous as befits the carny atmosphere of the minors and his own youthful excitement at playing a part behind the scenes at a storied ballpark. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 25 May 2023 See All Example Sentences for carny

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carny was circa 1933

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Cite this Entry

“Carny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carny. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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