bandwagon
Americannoun
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bandwagons
plural
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a wagon, usually large and ornately decorated, for carrying a musical band while it is playing, as in a circus parade or to a political rally.
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a party, cause, movement, etc., that by its mass appeal or strength readily attracts many followers.
After it became apparent that the incumbent would win, everyone decided to jump on the bandwagon.
noun
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a wagon, usually high and brightly coloured, for carrying the band in a parade
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to join or give support to a party or movement that seems to be assured of success
Usage
What does bandwagon mean? If you jump on the bandwagon, you join in with the many people who follow, support, or are fans of someone or something popular and/or successful (especially when it is growing in popularity). Bandwagon is especially used in the context of sports teams, political movements, trends, and entertainment. It is almost always used in the singular in phrases like jump on the bandwagon, hop on the bandwagon, climb on the bandwagon, and get on the bandwagon. A noun is sometimes placed before bandwagon to refer to the thing being followed, such as the name of a particular sports team or TV show, as in people start to jump on the Yankees bandwagon around playoff time. It is often used in a mildly negative way as a criticism of those who started following such a thing simply because it was popular or only after it had become popular or successful. Example: After the introduction of a pro league soccer team to the city, many residents jumped on the superfan bandwagon and started attending games and buying merchandise.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bandwagon
Explanation
A bandwagon is a trend that is so cool everyone wants to get in on it. If you start wearing a flowerpot on your head because everyone else is, you’ve jumped on a strange fashion bandwagon. Originally, a bandwagon was a large wagon that did indeed carry a band. Now it’s an idea — people jump on the bandwagon when they hop on a trend. This word can be negative because it’s what people do only because it’s trendy. Longtime fans of the Boston Red Sox may resent new fans who like the team because it's become the "in thing" to do; the old fans would accuse them of jumping on the bandwagon.
Vocabulary lists containing bandwagon
Analyzing Arguments: From Reading to Writing (Chapter 3)
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The Omnivore's Dilemma
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Media Literacy - High School
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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:
Reluctantly joining the bandwagon thanks to the rising cost of living is her friend Emmanuella.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
The indicator’s theoretical rationale is that households are late to jump on the market’s bandwagon, and are therefore most bullish at or near tops and most bearish at or near bottoms.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
But when Bill Plaschke starts pumping sunshine, history warns against climbing aboard the Bruin bandwagon unless it comes with an extended warranty and roadside assistance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Paze wants to convince this older group to get on the bandwagon, and it recently ramped up the effort with ads and promotions targeting this demographic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Everybody jumped on the bandwagon and said, “We’re gonna change things in the Ida B. Wells!”
From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones
Another upside to Scrupulosity Rooting is how it allows for jumping on and off bandwagons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2020
It’s the same with genre-hopping dance music behemoths Calvin Harris and Diplo, the latter having jumped on so many cultural bandwagons he must have full-body splinters.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 29, 2019
“People start jumping on bandwagons on whatever we’re talking about and you just shake your head and it’s like, really? That’s not even reality,” he said Sunday.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 10, 2016
Others just like to jump on bandwagons and back winners.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 1, 2016
Finally, a few bandwagons I couldn’t get on: ‘Girls,’ ‘Orphan Black,’ ‘Mad Men.’
From New York Times ● Dec. 13, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
