dance 1 of 2

noun

Definition of dancenext
as in prom
a social gathering for dancing who are you taking to the dance on Saturday night?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dance

2 of 2

verb

ˈdan(t)s How to pronounce dance (audio)
1
as in to step
to perform a series of usually rhythmic bodily movements to music she can't resist dancing to her favorite rock bands

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to dart
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements the lithe boxer danced around the ring, staying just out of the reach of his opponent

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dance
Noun
Its soaring, sometimes Madonna-esque dance pop grapples with love, loss, and renewal in the shadow of 2025’s Los Angeles wildfires. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026 Boston Dynamics was once best known for its viral videos of robots doing cool tricks, but that space has been taken over by Chinese humanoids and their flashy dance moves. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
Built for polar exploration, this vessel features a cozy alpine-meets-the-sea vibe, with faux-fur pillows, plush blankets for staying warm and three fireplaces with dancing water vapor flames. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026 Smiling, nodding her head, dancing on her own, rapping along to her own song. — Jason Sheeler, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dance
  1. prom
  2. step
  3. dart
  4. festival
  5. waltz
  6. flit
  7. celebration
  8. shuffle
Noun
  • The prom picture caught the attention of Garner's followers, with one fan calling on the actress to reunite with her former date and recreate the pose.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The past year has been full of milestones for the mother, from Jade’s senior prom to her 18th birthday.
    — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of prom
Verb
  • There was a fresh wave of boos each time Acuña stepped to the plate after.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • From ice vibrations to magnetic signals, researchers are finding new ways to collect Arctic data without stepping onto the ice.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of step
Verb
  • Nix darted to his right at the snap as Harvey ran a flat route toward the front pylon.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In no particular order, Elsinore darts in and out of various phases of Charleson’s life during this period, but Stone manages the tonal balance expertly.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of dart
Noun
  • Standing with a bike near the festival was Frantz Jerome, 65.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Based on the 2021 short of the same name, whose festival run included New Directors/New Films, it’s produced by microFILM, 2Pilots Filmproduction, Frakas Prods.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of festival
Verb
  • Jey Uso lost to Oba Femi and decided to waltz over to SmackDown to try to get a shot at Zayn’s title.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • Sweden waltzed to a 5-1 victory against Tunisia in its opener, with its forward line of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres capitalizing on some poor defending.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
Definition of waltz
Verb
  • Behold the plight of the Ryan Murphy character, cursed to behave nonsensically and flit wildly from plotline to plotline based on the writer’s whims.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • City juggled negotiations with Gakpo and Ndiaye in the past seven days, enabling them to flit between the two depending on who was most desired or, in the event, most realistic.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of flit
Noun
  • Novak Djokovic, who won the 2011 men’s title, wore a FDNY hat during his walk-out and post-match celebration, to honor first responders.
    — Lukas Weese, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Two decades later, the IDF would storm Palestinian community centers, confiscating flags and shutting down celebrations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of celebration
Verb
  • The filmmaker has likened his perspective in this project to that of Dorothy’s dog Toto in The Wizard of Oz, alert to the shuffling feet beneath the curtain rather than being bamboozled by the shyster title character’s techno showmanship.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Not much else changed in Class 5A, besides Azle and Arlington Seguin shuffling down two spots with Week 2 losses.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of shuffle

Phrases Containing dance

Browse Nearby Words

dam (up)
dance
dance attendance (upon)
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Cite this Entry

“Dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dance. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dance

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