musical chairs

noun

1. Also called going to Jerusalem. a game in which players march to music around two rows of chairs placed back to back, there being one chair less than the number of players, the object being to find a seat when the music stops abruptly. The player failing to do so is removed from the game, together with one chair, at each interval.
2. Informal. a situation or series of events in which jobs, decisions, prospects, etc., are changed with confusing rapidity.

musical chairs

noun

1. a party game in which players walk around chairs while music is played, there being one fewer chair than players. Whenever the music stops, the player who fails to find a chair is eliminated
2. any situation involving a number of people in a series of interrelated changes

Word History and Origins

Origin of musical chairs¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Unless some kind of sky-high musical chairs ensues, anything more than a cursory pre-potty hello could become a little tricky.

From The Daily Beast

But in cabinet-level musical chairs, timing is often destiny.

From The Daily Beast

Most of the elites who were in power at the time of the uprising remain in power—just that they played a game of musical chairs.

From The Daily Beast

But I want to see real benefits, not just rearranging the seats in a giant game of musical chairs.

From The Daily Beast

As if they were all getting together to orchestrate the musical chairs.

From The Daily Beast

In the midst of our agitation, we were compelled to play "musical chairs" with the others, as if nothing had happened!

From Project Gutenberg

The company had quite enough to talk about without having to fall back on shouting proverbs or musical chairs.

From Project Gutenberg

I had the same lingering desire to remain near safety that you feel when playing "musical chairs" and you are near a vacant seat.

From Project Gutenberg

Three access points were playing musical chairs, dropping signal and reacquiring it, dropping it again.

From Project Gutenberg

Wiping his brow and whistling, he organised musical chairs; and, after musical chairs, cock-fighting.

From Project Gutenberg