as in festival
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something
the town's annual Fourth of July carnival
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in carnivalesque
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of carnival
Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026
They were introduced through their mutual friend Kaylee Janeway, who knew Drysdale because their parents worked at a carnival lot together.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Chloe McGowan, The Indianapolis Star, 27 June 2022
The Queen is also expected to attend the Derby, one of her favorite horse race events, a concert at Buckingham Palace and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a carnival-style celebration during which many artists, including Ed Sheeran, will perform.
—Monique Jessen, PEOPLE.com, 12 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
Noun
Filled with beads, sequins, parades, and masquerade balls, the grand finale of the carnival season calls for a manicure that’s just as showstopping.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026
They were introduced through their mutual friend Kaylee Janeway, who knew Drysdale because their parents worked at a carnival lot together.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Whitestown's family-friendly Independence Day Celebration will kick off at 6 p.m. with live music, carnival-style food, a ticketed kid's zone and a fireworks show once the sun goes down.
—Chloe McGowan, The Indianapolis Star, 27 June 2022
The Queen is also expected to attend the Derby, one of her favorite horse race events, a concert at Buckingham Palace and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a carnival-style celebration during which many artists, including Ed Sheeran, will perform.
—Monique Jessen, PEOPLE.com, 12 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for carnival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnival
Noun
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Savannah College of Art and Design welcomed a cavalcade of stars to Atlanta for the 2026 SCAD TVfest — and Entertainment Weekly has exclusive photos of the celebrities at the annual festival.—
Patrick Gomez,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Feb. 2026
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The film premiered at the Munich Film Festival, winning the FIPRESCI Prize and the German Cinema New Talent Award, before hitting the international film festival circuit.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Kaddu embodies the carnivalesque spirit of the NFL in London, which has been hosting regular-season games since 2007.—
Erin Florio,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
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But by the mid-1930s, Soviet leaders sensed that people needed something to take the edge off in the dead of winter, a carnivalesque custom of the sort that Christmas once provided.—
Andrew Fedorov,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny (and Vogue’s fashionable December digital cover star) took the stage at the 2026 Super Bowl—and brought his celebrity friends along for the celebration.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
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Bad Bunny’s halftime performance at Super Bowl LX served as a robust celebration of culture that brimmed with symbolism and celebrity cameos.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The quest to fathom the riotous diversity of nature is absorbingly told in a virtual double biography of the great taxonomist Carl Linnaeus and his contemporary, the count of Buffon.—
Ian Tattersall,
The New York Review of Books,
5 Feb. 2026
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This was a riotous, thrilling way to bring the curtain down on a five-and-a-half week spell which could come to define their entire season come May.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That’s why thousands of people filled Discovery Meadow Park on Monday for a San Jose-centric — and free — drone show after the Opening Night festivities at the convention center.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
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And then there's the commercials, which have consistently been a highlight of the festivities.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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He is most known for catch opposing point guards off-guard with steals from behind in the back court, a move sure to elicit a raucous, standing ovation when performed for the first time in front of the Madison Square Garden faithful.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Nashville scored to take the lead, and hit the post, within the opening minute of the middle frame, pushing the Wild back on their heels and getting the raucous crowd back in the game.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After two weeks of filming in Kansas City, the cast and crew of ended their stay in Kansas City with a boisterous wrap party in a private karaoke suite at Offkey in Westport.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
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Koreatown’s many casual but boisterous offerings also await.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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A little lowly courier work, yes, but nothing more raffish than that.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Carnival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnival. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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