dance-off

noun

ˈdan(t)s-ˌȯf 

ˈdän(t)s-

plural dance-offs

: a dancing competition

The finals were a dance-off—one by one, each girl danced her routine alone, on stage, in front of an auditorium full of hundreds of strangers.

—Mark Coddington

One night they happened to catch a fox trot performed on Dancing With the Stars, the ABC battle-of-the-ballroom hit that paired … celebrities with professional dancers in a six-week dance-off.

—Michelle Andrews

Examples of dance-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The winner of their dance-off was Higgins and Ballas, giving them an extra two points to their scores. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Nov. 2026

What to know about the dance-offs In addition to individual routines, each couple will face off against each other and dance head-to-head in the same style at the same time. — Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026

In London, hundreds of people turned up in the financial district for a Wednesday morning dance-off before work, as appetite grows worldwide for daytime raves. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Houston’s celebration takes place September 26-27 and features 50 food and beverage pros, plus wine and spirit pairings, craft cocktails, local vendors, live DJs, dance-offs, and interactive experiences. — Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

dance entry 1 + -off

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dance-off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff