sideshow
Americannoun
-
a minor show or exhibition in connection with a principal one, as at a circus.
-
any subordinate event or matter.
noun
-
a small show or entertainment offered in conjunction with a larger attraction, as at a circus or fair
-
a subordinate event or incident
Etymology
Origin of sideshow
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50
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.
In seeking to explain his plunge into the fifth round, some pointed to concerns about Shedeur’s personality and the sideshow of being the son of “Coach Prime.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025
Modern accounting and investor trust have reduced dividends to a sideshow, but they used to be the whole point.
From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025
In his first two full seasons, the Dodgers vs. the rest of the league at Dodger Stadium was a sideshow to the main event: Frank McCourt vs.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025
The game itself was a sideshow - both teams will meet in the Championship next season having already been relegated.
From BBC • May 18, 2025
He greedily studied the crowd and found the heroine standing near a sideshow.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
