breakdancer

noun

break·​danc·​er ˈbrāk-ˌdan(t)-sər How to pronounce breakdancer (audio)
variants or break dancer or less commonly break-dancer
plural breakdancers or break dancers also break-dancers
: someone who breakdances
… a new hip-hop dance work by the breakdancer and choreographer Anne Nguyen that involves 20 New York City street dancers in the Bronx and Times Square.Joshua Barone
… "Wild Style," a 1983 film that was hailed as the first hip-hop movie and featured real-life graffiti writers, rappers and break dancers in and around the Bronx.Julianne McShane
… [Emmanuel Macron] watched a performance of break-dancers who hope to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.Jeffrey Schaeffer
Acrobatic dancers known as b-boys, b-girls, and breakers (the media eventually labeled them as breakdancers, a term still in wide circulation today) flocked to DJ Kool Herc's parties …Jonathan Abrams

called also breaker

Examples of breakdancer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Australian breakdancer — who went viral during the 2024 Paris Olympics for her controversial routine — shed her polo uniform and went glam in a cover shoot for a new issue of Australian magazine Stellar. Natasha Dye, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024 High-, mid- and low-top versions of the Adidas Jabbar have all released—with the lows being particularly popular among b-boys (or breakdancers). Ian Servantes For Footwear News, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2024 By my estimation, Rayne Beau is quickly approaching breakdancer Raygun and pop star Chappell Roan in sheer tonnage of 2024 Internet writing. Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2024 Australian olympic breakdancer, Raygun, has made her way to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon! Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2024 The Australian breakdancer, real name Rachel Gunn, who had a viral performance in the Olympics this summer in a green tracksuit. CatNap: A royal purple cat who is a character from Poppy Playtime, the indie horror video game series. Simmone Shah, TIME, 15 Oct. 2024 In an interview with UPI, clinical professor and concussion specialist Dr. Angela Lumba-Brown suggested that breakdancers take preventative measures to avoid overuse injuries. Raven Brunner, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024 Olympic breakdancer Raygun may not have won a single point during the competition, but she's won gold in Adele’s heart. EW.com, 12 Aug. 2024 Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn, who went viral during the Paris Games, was ranked number one in the world by the sport's governing body. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breakdancer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of breakdancer was in 1982

Dictionary Entries Near breakdancer

Cite this Entry

“Breakdancer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakdancer. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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