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:
“It’s very much a merry-go-round, and that merry-go-round had to keep spinning faster,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
On Monday, the public inquiry identified "catastrophic" parental and local authority failings, with a "merry-go-round" of referrals, assessments and "hand-offs" between agencies failing to stop the "predictable and preventable" attack.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
When his camera isn’t woozily circling like a merry-go-round, his edginess glints.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
I’m not sure how to step off the merry-go-round.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026
“Of course! Unicom, mermaid, lion, merman"—he smacked his forehead—“...and there's the sea horse. The merry-go-round of the Merciful Sisters! Incredible!"
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
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
It is one of the only four-across merry-go-rounds of its type still in existence, and still retains nearly all its original features, according to appraisals commissioned by the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2025
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
Humans’ love of spinning around in circles, especially during childhood, is evidenced by the enduring popularity of playground merry-go-rounds, revolving fun park rides and the irresistible draw of somersaulting down a hill.
From New York Times ● Apr. 26, 2023
The red-brick building stood on a vast tract of land with immaculate lawns, athletic fields, swings, merry-go-rounds, an Olympicsized swimming pool, tennis courts and rows of brightly leafed trees.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
