Meaning & use
Sideshows
Last updated
Minor attractions or events presented alongside a main show, or, figuratively, distractions from a central issue.
See it in a sentence
The carnival's sideshows included a fortune teller and a strongman act.
The scandal became a sideshow that distracted from the real policy debate.
A note on using this word
The figurative sense—something that draws attention away from a more important matter—is now at least as common as the literal circus meaning.
Words with a similar meaning
distractionsattractions
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