dance 1 of 2

noun

Definition of dancenext
as in prom
a social gathering for dancing who are you taking to the dance on Saturday night?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dance

2 of 2

verb

ˈdan(t)s How to pronounce dance (audio)
1
as in to step
to perform a series of usually rhythmic bodily movements to music she can't resist dancing to her favorite rock bands

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to dart
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements the lithe boxer danced around the ring, staying just out of the reach of his opponent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dance
Noun
About 15 players were doing the dance, the Electric Slide, to the song by the same title on Wednesday when the media entered the locker room. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 Movement is at the heart of every episode, giving children opportunities to jump, dance, imagine and express themselves in their own way. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
The clips of the event that surfaced show male dancers in cowboy hats dancing and stripping on stage, reports the Daily Mail. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Teddy bears and trains, baseballs and dolls dance through the air into Santa's enormous sack, which sits at Santa's feet, or rather Harry's, who is perched high on the throne at the back of the float, magnificent in white whiskers and red velvet. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dance
  1. prom
  2. step
  3. dart
  4. festival
  5. waltz
  6. flit
  7. celebration
  8. shuffle
Noun
  • Now, Silverstein is hoping to organize swaps for back-to-school, prom season, winter coats and other high-consumption, single-use times of year.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • More than 40 years since Andie destroyed Iona’s vintage prom gown, here’s what the cast of Pretty in Pink has been up to.
    — Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of prom
Verb
  • De Goede scored her second bounding over a ruck, prop DaLeaka Menin scored in a lineout drive, and fullback Savannah Bauder stepped two defenders in a 55-meter solo try to make it 31-17.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Betkowski temporarily stepped away from the role in 1978 and returned to California for a couple months to receive psychiatric treatment at the then-UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of step
Verb
  • On the next drive, Ford took the snap and bobbled it before securing the ball and darting around the edge to run for a five-yard touchdown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Wild guanacos—llama-like camelids with dark-red fur—darted across the road.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of dart
Noun
  • The festival also spotlights the environmental benefits of traditional grazing, in which livestock are used to clear brush and other flammable undergrowth, reducing the spread of wildfires.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • For Srouji, the ultimate measure of a healthy industry is not simply whether a filmmaker gets a movie made or lands a prestigious festival selection, but whether that success makes the next film possible.
    — Essie Assibu, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of festival
Verb
  • Those who thought the Los Angeles Dodgers and their massive payroll were going to waltz into Milwaukee and run over the Brewers were wrong.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • From Hannah Brown to Joey Graziadei to Tyler Cameron, Dancing With the Stars has seen more than a few Bachelor Nation alums waltz their way through the competition, but there’s a reason JoJo Fletcher hasn’t made it to the dance floor… yet.
    — Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of waltz
Verb
  • Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, flit between the two productions.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Stellantis There's also all the homologation and regulatory hurdles attached to having something that flits between being a passenger-car and a light truck.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of flit
Noun
  • Members of the dance group Danzantes Unidos Mitotiliztli performed in October 2025 during a Dia de los Muertos celebration offered by Athziry Día de Muertos and the city of Aurora at East Aurora High School.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The former center grabbed headlines in March for commenting on a Rangers loss that coincided with the team’s Pride Night celebration.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of celebration
Verb
  • It’s been more than a year since Ozzy Osbourne shuffled off this mortal coil.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Current traded away some assets while shuffling stars like Michelle Cooper, Temwa Chawinga and Lorena in and out of the lineup.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffle

Phrases Containing dance

Browse Nearby Words

dam (up)
dance
dance attendance (upon)
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Cite this Entry

“Dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dance. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dance

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