bread and circuses

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.

It is the same movie, slightly tweaked and constantly referencing and reminding you of the original, delivering what you already loved about “Gladiator”: strength and honor, bread and circuses, blood and guts.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024

Instead, at the end of the day, as the world spins out of control, people want bread and circuses to keep them from contemplating the horrors that we ourselves have created.

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2023

“Give them food and cake and they won’t revolt?” she said, paraphrasing the ancient saying about bread and circuses.

From New York Times • Feb. 13, 2022

At the very beginning of the presentation, Zuckerberg attempted to assure viewers that all this metaverse talk wasn’t just bread and circuses, referencing “all the scrutiny and public debate” currently swirling around his company.

From Slate • Oct. 28, 2021

It required a great deal of money to support the luxurious court of the emperors and their innumerable officials and servants, and to supply "bread and circuses" for the populace of the towns.

From An Introduction to the History of Western Europe by Robinson, James Harvey