a show, such as a play or musical comedy, performed by a touring group of actors.
an important motion picture, usually presented only twice daily on a reserved-seat basis and at increased prices.
any traveling exhibit, such as one promoting a company's products or a government program.
Informal. any group traveling around the country for a specific purpose, such as a political candidate together with an entourage.
a radio show broadcast live from one of a number of towns or venues being visited by a disc jockey who is touring an area
the touring disc jockey and the personnel and equipment needed to present such a show
the Radio 1 road show will be in Brighton next week
a group of entertainers, esp pop musicians, on tour
any occasion when an organization attracts publicity while touring or visiting
an antiques road show
a royal road show
An Americanism dating back to 1905–10
First recorded in 1870–80
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
SpaceX itself reiterated during its IPO road show that “retail investor participation is important to SpaceX.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
Filming a road show like that might not require Florsheims.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
The take-it-or-leave-it approach should help simplify the so-called road show, or investor meetings, they said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
The league — and all the owners complaining about the Dodgers and their spending — happily profited from this traveling road show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2025
The horse’s campaign became a road show of athletic futility.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Governance complexity, lofty valuations and the gap between narrative and profitability are worth reading carefully before the road-show hype takes over.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Mr. Dodd and Mr. Frank, who have developed something of a road-show comedy act, expressed their appreciation for the work of the agency while acknowledging that it continues to draw critics.
From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2015
The film was shown as it initially played in the '60s -- road-show style, with an overture and an intermission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2015
The IPO road-show is an opportunity for company executives to convince Wall Street investors to buy stock in the offering.
From Time ● Jun. 26, 2012
Sarandon, sputtering like a road-show Tennessee Williams heroine, never creates a credible character.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
