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
Newsrooms had their websites and fledgling e-commerce businesses, but they were sideshows at best.
—
Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
The cancellation follows the band’s earlier decision to call off their Dec. 4 sideshow at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley Music Hall.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 5 Dec. 2024
In 2021, Gonzalez-Nunez allegedly drove a car in a sideshow while his girlfriend hung out of the window with an miniature AK-47.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Ticket holders for Sum 41’s sideshows will receive refund information shortly.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sideshow 
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.
Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
The cancellation follows the band’s earlier decision to call off their Dec. 4 sideshow at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley Music Hall.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 5 Dec. 2024
In 2021, Gonzalez-Nunez allegedly drove a car in a sideshow while his girlfriend hung out of the window with an miniature AK-47.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Ticket holders for Sum 41’s sideshows will receive refund information shortly.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sideshow
Dictionary Entries Near sideshow
Cite this Entry
“Sideshow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideshow. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share