acrobat

noun

ac·ro·bat | \ ˈa-krə-ˌbat

Definition of acrobat

1 : one that performs gymnastic feats requiring skillful control of the body

2a : one skillful at exercises of intellectual or artistic dexterity

b : one adept at swiftly changing or adapting a position or viewpoint a political acrobat

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Examples of acrobat in a Sentence

a child who is a natural acrobat with a superb sense of balance a political acrobat whose opinion on any issue is whatever will get the most votes

Recent Examples on the Web

There were acrobats, jugglers, strongmen, and later strong women whose talents were touted as an argument for women’s suffrage. — Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, "When ‘The Circus’ Came to Town," 4 Oct. 2018 Harlequin bears Picasso’s features; that of the small acrobat those of his friend, the poet Max Jacob. — E.a. Carmean Jr. And Ann Hoenigswald, WSJ, "Picasso’s Hidden Figures," 1 June 2018 By 1918, the company employed around 250 performers, from acrobats to equestriennes, clowns to lion tamers. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The Hammond Train Wreck of 1918 Killed Scores of Circus Performers," 22 June 2018 In 1859, French acrobat Charles Blondin walked back and forth on a tightrope above the gorge of Niagara Falls as thousands of spectators watched. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 29 June 2018 Also on hand will be jugglers, acrobats, a speed painter and a strongwoman, as well as live music. lawrencebuskerfest.com. — Dan Kelly, kansascity, "KC events May 24-30: Memorial Day at WWI Museum, David Koechner, James Comey | The Kansas City Star," 22 May 2018 The acrobats are Marawa’s Majorettes, a troupe of hyper hoopers led by Marawa Ibrahim. — Alec Scott, Smithsonian, "The Iconic Hula Hoop Keeps on Rolling," 26 June 2018 IllumiNight: This new nighttime interactive show gets audiences to move to the electrifying pulse of the music while high-flying acrobats, floating sea life and a tribe of dancers perform at this high-energy dance party. — Carolina Gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Gymnastics coach choreographs water dances for new SeaWorld show," 5 July 2018 Sure, you’ll be impressed and sometimes dazzled by the agility and dexterity of Cirque’s international cast of acrobats and aerialists, by the movement of bodies through space at impossible speeds and angles that adds up to a kind of airborne dance. — Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, "A Cirque du Soleil show that’s as interested in ‘Ahh’ as ‘Wow’," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acrobat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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28 Nov 2018

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The first known use of acrobat was in 1827

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More Definitions for acrobat

acrobat

noun

English Language Learners Definition of acrobat

: someone who entertains people (as at a circus) by performing difficult and often dangerous acts (such as swinging from a bar or walking on a rope high in the air)

See the full definition for acrobat in the English Language Learners Dictionary

acrobat

noun

ac·ro·bat | \ ˈa-krə-ˌbat