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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circus
Hochul should close the political circus and follow the example of her illustrious predecessor.
—
Christian Browne, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025
And through her eyes, New York took on the excitement of a circus.
—Arthur Lubow, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
North County Mall, 272 E. Via Rancho Pkwy, Escondido, will host the circus through Feb. 24.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
There are other moments ripe with backstory — including the fact that Roger was once an actual circus clown, as revealed by old photos — that remain underexploited by Fund, who’s more interested in sustaining a certain mood.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circus
Christian Browne, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025
And through her eyes, New York took on the excitement of a circus.
—Arthur Lubow, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
North County Mall, 272 E. Via Rancho Pkwy, Escondido, will host the circus through Feb. 24.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
There are other moments ripe with backstory — including the fact that Roger was once an actual circus clown, as revealed by old photos — that remain underexploited by Fund, who’s more interested in sustaining a certain mood.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circus
Noun
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But that doesn’t mean MLB and the MLBPA couldn’t tie their slice of the pie to a new stadium.—
Evan Drellich,
The Athletic,
10 Mar. 2025
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Zoom out: The Bears are pushing for the state of Illinois to invest billions for a new stadium on the Museum Campus or in Arlington Heights, but the governor and the legislature haven't shown much interest in making that happen on the state's dime.—
Justin Kaufmann,
Axios,
7 Mar. 2025
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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Girls and young women ages 12 to 23 years old are invited to attend the pageant’s first orientation session from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 at Templars Hall in Old Poway Park, 14134 Midland Road.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Jan. 2025
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Queens like Jaida Essence Hall, Sasha Colby, and even Sam’s mother Trinity have shown an ability to take pageant drag and update it to display more than just skill, but also a point of view.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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Not long after, the catastrophic climate event happened, and bedlam broke out at the facility.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The interactive exhibit features opportunities for guests to take a crack at some of the world record-setting activities Guinness has captured.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
8 Mar. 2025
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The items will eventually move to a new visitor center and museum, expected to open in 2027, with the collection center available for traveling exhibits.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The English soccer exhibition is the latest boost to Chicago’s standing as an international sports city.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2025
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Here is a selection of portraits featured in the exhibition with descriptions of their subjects drawn from information provided by the photographers.—
Diane Cole,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But dialing in such reusable space exploration systems has been difficult and generated the spectacle of many RUDs or explosions in the development process.—
Eric Mack,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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For the world to witness such a spectacle in the Oval Office was deeply unsettling.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circus. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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