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.
Drone footage of the sideshow and officers’ response was posted to the department’s Facebook page. Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2026 View this post on Instagram Officers used drones to surveil the scene and identify vehicles that were actively participating in the sideshow. Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 29 June 2026 Blue Nile has gone from a sideshow to a central battleground. Janine Di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026 At the end of the day, though, the tax credit is a sideshow. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Sideshow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideshow. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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)

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