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

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

Empires have been made possible by "bread and circuses"; by appealing to an abnormally developed sense of patriotism; by the rule of might where largess and cajolery have failed.

From The American Empire by Nearing, Scott