dance-off

noun

ˈdan(t)s-ˌȯf How to pronounce dance-off (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To test Ronan’s precision, the researchers pitted her against ten UC Santa Cruz undergraduate students in a dance-off. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2025 Art is in a dance-off with commerce; pragmatism, with purity; and perfection, with survival. Judy Berman, Time, 23 Apr. 2025 Bingo Loco flips the traditional game on its head by turning it into a three-hour stage show that features dance-offs, rave rounds, lip sync battles, throwback anthems, confetti showers, CO2 cannons and conga lines. Holly Alvarado, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2025 The parking lot transforms into an après tailgate scene that rivals any stadium, complete with grills, lawn chairs, and the occasional dance-off in ski boots. Roger Sands, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dance-off

Word History

Etymology

dance entry 1 + -off

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dance-off was in 1967

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Cite this Entry

“Dance-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dance-off. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

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