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.

My second takeaway is that bread and circuses — the Roman phrase for distracting the populace with spectacle — was in full force.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2024

Then again, it's pretty easy to pull off this feat in a society sated only by bread and circuses.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2023

We might ask our governments to aim for more than mere bread and circuses, though.

From Washington Post • Nov. 4, 2022

“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

Cannons and colour, bands and decorations, bread and circuses, emperors uncovering to us, beautiful queens waving dainty handkerchiefs—this is what lies behind the dry Treaties of the history books.

From Without Prejudice by Zangwill, Israel