breakdance

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verb

break·​dance ˈbrāk-ˌdan(t)s How to pronounce breakdance (audio)
variants or break dance or less commonly break-dance
breakdanced or break danced also break-danced; breakdancing or break dancing also break-dancing; breakdances or break dances also break-dances

intransitive verb

: to dance in a hip-hop style by performing a series of acrobatic moves that often involve touching various parts of the body (such as the back or head) to the ground : to engage in breakdancing
The girls breakdance, whirling on the floor …Robert Sullivan
… [Christian] Wilkins, surrounded by teammates, began break-dancing in the end zone.Marcel Louis-Jacques
As a poet, hip-hop artist, and b-girl (a girl that break dances), Chilli is a huge advocate for using the arts as a tool for social justice.e-democracy.org
In January, a class from Plaisance Middle School clapped and cheered as their attention was fixated on the floor where dancers were breakdancing to hip-hop music.Patrice Doucet

break dance

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noun

variants or breakdance or less commonly break-dance
plural break dances or breakdances also break-dances
1
: a style of hip-hop dance in which soloists perform acrobatic moves that often involve touching various parts of the body (such as the back or head) to the ground : breakdancing
… Sandro is a keen boxer and has a background in ballet and breakdance too.Natalie Oganesyan
often used before another noun
break dance lessons
a breakdance competition
a break-dance routine
2
: the act or an instance of breakdancing
… 17 student-teacher dance pairs rocked the stage with salsas, break dances, and more.Sam Deady

Examples of breakdance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In the same interview, however, Rachael Gunn defended her qualifications to compete during breakdancing’s debut as an Olympic sport and stood by a widely mocked routine that included an imitation of a kangaroo among other unconventional moves. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024 By my estimation, Gunn sparked more conversations about breakdancing than every eighties film combined. Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 4 Sep. 2024
Noun
Back to the Yards at Yards Park Yards Park’s annual tribute to neon, glow sticks and retro tunes returns to the Anacostia waterfront, with crafting stations, break dance performances, arcade games, and DJs spinning ’80s and ’90s hits. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for breakdance 

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

Verb

1983, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1983, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of breakdance was in 1983

Dictionary Entries Near breakdance

break dance

breakdance

breakdancer

Cite this Entry

“Breakdance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakdance. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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