freak show

noun

a display of people or animals with unusual or grotesque physical features, as at a circus or carnival sideshow.
any ludicrous, bizarre, or dehumanizing occasion, function, performance, etc.; grotesque, circuslike event:
endless interviews and auditions that became a ridiculous freak show.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of freak show¹

First recorded in 1885–90

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

George Carlin told us that when you are born in America, you get a front row seat to the freak show and Thompson told us you bought the ticket and so you should enjoy the ride.

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The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow, a freak show that featured Slug the Sword Swallower, the Torture King and some dude who drank vomit, became a crowd favorite, making the world safe for “The Jim Rose Twisted Tour” TV show.

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Like most reality TV, it's closer to a freak show than an attempt to reflect the average person's experiences.

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“I don’t want to be the freak show party, like they have branded us. You know, when you’re a mom with three kids, and you live in middle America and you’re just not really into politics,” a DNC member from Florida told the outlet.

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In 2024, Democrats are making a similar argument but more forcibly: They’re pointing, laughing and dismissing Trump and his circus as a total freak show to which we can’t return.

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freak out freaky

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