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Definitions

merry-go-round

[mer-ee-goh-round] / ˈmɛr i goʊˌraʊnd /
NOUN
amusement
Synonyms
STRONGEST
diversion hobby recreation
STRONG
distraction entertainment interest joke lark play prank sport
Antonyms
STRONGEST
profession vocation work
WEAK
boredom
NOUN
carousel
Synonyms
STRONGEST
roundabout whirligig
WEAK
conveyer ride
NOUN
diversion
Synonyms
STRONGEST
amusement distraction fun pastime pleasure
STRONG
ball beguilement delectation delight dissipation enjoyment frivolity game gratification grins hoopla laughs levity picnic play relaxation relish sport whoopee
WEAK
disport divertissement field day fun and games high time
Antonyms
STRONGEST
work
STRONG
seriousness
WEAK
chore task vocation
NOUN
spree
Synonyms
STRONGEST
binge celebration orgy rampage
STRONG
bacchanalia ball bash caper carousal carousing fling frolic jag jamboree junket lark party revel rip splurge tear
WEAK
field day high jinks high time spending expedition
NOUN
whirl
Synonyms
STRONGEST
clatter ferment flurry tumult whirlwind
STRONG
ado agitation bustle daze dither fluster flutter furor fuss hubbub hurry moil pother round ruction rush series spin stir storm succession tempest turbulence uproar
WEAK
hurly-burly
Antonyms
STRONGEST
calm calmness peace

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.

But a "merry-go-round of referrals, assessments, case-closures and hand-offs" meant no agency took the lead or understood the danger he posed.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

I’m not sure how to step off the merry-go-round.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

But for all the fun it is, this show pony might as well be on a merry-go-round.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

Vlada Ovchinnikova stood posing for her boyfriend at a stall offering mugs of steaming wine, as children rode horses on a brightly-lit merry-go-round in front of a giant Christmas tree.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

“Where was that stooped and mealy-colored old man I used to call Poppa when the merry-go-round broke down?”

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller