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
Another sideshow with fireworks and cars spinning donuts took place near Hercules, on Franklin Canyon Road near the golf course.
—
Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
At that point, strong women were more of a sideshow attraction.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024
To the Rio waterfront, for one, where the pompous Nigel (Jemaine Clement) is quoting Shakespeare, decrying the carnival sideshow he’s chained to and deflecting the unwanted attention of his terribly annoying, terribly adoring fan, Gabi.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Tokens are not a sideshow of blockchain networks, a nuisance that can be stripped out and discarded.
—Chris Dixon, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024
That makes culture not a sideshow to geopolitics but rather a central arena with sweeping implications for international relations.
—Suzanne Nossel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024
Now, professional wrestling seems like a sideshow to the American story, or at least, slightly ridiculous, and therefore not worthy of serious consideration.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024
The law enforcement officials, in total, conducted 46 traffic stops that night in response to the sideshow.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 13 Feb. 2024
The appointment of Knight to the vector control board is just the latest example of what many exasperated residents describe as Shasta County’s descent into a political sideshow.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
At that point, strong women were more of a sideshow attraction.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024
To the Rio waterfront, for one, where the pompous Nigel (Jemaine Clement) is quoting Shakespeare, decrying the carnival sideshow he’s chained to and deflecting the unwanted attention of his terribly annoying, terribly adoring fan, Gabi.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Tokens are not a sideshow of blockchain networks, a nuisance that can be stripped out and discarded.
—Chris Dixon, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024
That makes culture not a sideshow to geopolitics but rather a central arena with sweeping implications for international relations.
—Suzanne Nossel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024
Now, professional wrestling seems like a sideshow to the American story, or at least, slightly ridiculous, and therefore not worthy of serious consideration.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024
The law enforcement officials, in total, conducted 46 traffic stops that night in response to the sideshow.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 13 Feb. 2024
The appointment of Knight to the vector control board is just the latest example of what many exasperated residents describe as Shasta County’s descent into a political sideshow.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sideshow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sideshow
Cite this Entry
“Sideshow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideshow. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sideshow
noun
side·show
-ˌshō 
: a small show off to the side offered in addition to a main show (as of a circus)
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