tap dance

noun

1
: a step dance tapped out audibly by means of shoes with hard soles or soles and heels to which taps have been added
2
: something suggesting a tap dance
especially : an action or discourse intended to rationalize or distract
does a clever tap dance to explain Campbell Geeslin
tap-dance intransitive verb
tap dancer noun
tap dancing noun

Examples of tap dance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Both brothers were key figures in the revival of tap dancing through their teaching, performing and personal connection to greats of the past. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024 In the 1980s, this relationship between jazz music and tap dance began resurfacing in public ways across New York and Los Angeles. Brynn Shiovitz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2023 Trump's tap dance — touting Operation Warp Speed's success at developing vaccines while criticizing vaccine use — is emblematic of how pandemic politics are intensifying broader vaccine politics. Darius Tahir, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023 Chris Evans can tap dance The Sexiest Man Alive of 2022 revealed his fancy footwork while promoting his 2017 film Gifted. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023 During their rise, the kids started learning other talents, with Joaquin becoming a skilled breakdancer and River learning to tap dance. Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 24 Oct. 2023 The work celebrates the joy, depth, and virtuosity of Black dance and music, exploring the lineage of tap dance and its connections to other Afro-Diasporic forms. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2023 The trailer features Chalamet tap dancing on a cafe tabletop while leading a chorus of umbrella-wielding dancers, as well as the appearance of a golden ticket. Michaela Zee, Variety, 11 July 2023 Look at tap dance, too: the way the dancers trade the spotlight. Sam Needleman, The New York Review of Books, 10 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tap dance.' 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

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tap dance was in 1928

Dictionary Entries Near tap dance

Cite this Entry

“Tap dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tap%20dance. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tap dance

noun
: a dance tapped out loudly by means of shoes to which taps have been added
tap-dance verb
tap dancer noun
tap dancing noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tap dance

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