merry-go-round
Americannoun
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merry-go-rounds
plural
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Also called carousel. (in amusement parks, carnivals, etc.) a revolving, circular platform with wooden horses or other animals, benches, etc., on which people may sit or ride, usually to the accompaniment of mechanical or recorded music.
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a rapid whirl or a busy round, as of social life or business affairs.
noun
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another name for roundabout
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a whirl of activity or events
the merry-go-round of the fashion world
Usage
What is a merry-go-round? A merry-go-round is an amusement park ride that consists of a revolving, circular platform with wooden horses or other fixtures, as in Sofia and Camila begged their parents to ride the merry-go-round with them. A merry-go-round is also known as a carousel. People sit on the fixtures, while the platform goes around slowly and cheery (some might say “cheesy”) music plays. Merry-go-round can also be used figuratively to refer to a whirl, or a busy round, of activity, as in Sports fans are always delighted by the merry-go-round of the trading season. Example: I always enjoyed listening to carnival music when I rode the merry-go-round as a kid.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of merry-go-round
First recorded in 1720–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Prof Shaw thinks potential benefits include better long-term planning around rolling-stock and timetables, and the removal of "the compensation merry-go-round", where train companies and Network Rail argue about whose fault a delay was.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Osmundson reflected on a day, decades ago, when the merry-go-round saved the family’s Christmas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The merry-go-round also became a gathering spot for a candlelight vigil when the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia died in 1995.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
He became a rare symbol of institutional continuity: A regular bit-part character keeping calm and carrying on during a merry-go-round of political change.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Daddy hoists me up onto the black stallion on the merry-go-round.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
Angular momentum is familiar in everyday life through spinning objects like bicycle wheels or merry-go-rounds, but at the atomic scale it is deeply connected to magnetism.
From Science Daily ● May 24, 2026
For years, Scottish football used to look at managerial merry-go-rounds in English football and decry it as a basket case environment, Now, it’s every bit as volatile in this country, if not worse.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2024
Human children indulge in spinner bowls at playgrounds and in merry-go-rounds, carousels and carnival rides that spin them through the air.
From Scientific American ● Mar. 28, 2023
Three hours-plus seemed like a trip to Mars and back as we shuttled between the concession stands, merry-go-rounds and playground equipment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2023
There were toy automobiles and trucks, windmills and merry-go-rounds, airplanes, boats and a lot of others, mostly run on batteries.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
