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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
She’s seen during a dance rehearsal, a silly social media clip, and onstage from their Lollapalooza set, the latter of which came before her announcement in February to step away from Katseye. — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026 The club’s members, including an industrialist and his expatriate niece, the president and his pampered wife, and a slew of Chinese tourists, engage in a complex dance with the doting and subservient staff. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 July 2026
Verb
Bananas players do backflips, perform skits, and dance on the field. — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 Understated and always singular, his books dance seamlessly between memoir, fiction, and history. — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 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
  • Kelly Kapowski had just broken up with Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell — and at the prom, of all places!
    — Devon Daniels, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • Dunkin’ Prom, which funds alternative proms for teens who may have missed theirs for medical reasons and lastly, grants to customize hospital spaces to create joy.
    — Zuri Primos June 29, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026
Definition of prom
Verb
  • As the second half of extra-time began and the specter of a shootout loomed, up stepped Ferrán Torres, someone who couldn’t have deserved it more.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Summer offers leaders a chance to step away from the action long enough to see the game clearly.
    — Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of step
Verb
  • The audience — all Christians themselves — darted worried looks to one another, shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • Skipper and scrumhalf Lucu darted over after a strong run into contact from his hooker Lamothe and touched down on the half-hour to score France’s fourth try, securing a bonus competition point.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of dart
Noun
  • The fan festival outside the stadium was packed with fans wearing colors that didn’t represent England or France.
    — Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 19 July 2026
  • The California State Fair and Embarc’s team are honoring the activists who were on the front line of the fight throughout the festival’s run this year.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 19 July 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
  • An airy, not-too-sweet vanilla like Taunt is the perfect encapsulation of a Gemini who’s always flitting from one topic of interest to the next.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 14 July 2026
  • The Spanish, who had at first just flitted along the coast in their galleons, had begun marching inland and overland from Mexico with crosses and soldiers and soldiers’ families.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of flit
Noun
  • Delivery had been delayed as the city grappled with the tragedy, a small but unforgettable reminder that Atlanta’s celebration had changed overnight.
    — Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
  • The whole thing, from the new series to the game nights themselves, even this evening’s celebrations, have the feeling of the late-1970s public access show TV Party, a loose, unpredictable New York salon helmed by Glenn O’Brien.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
Definition of celebration
Verb
  • He’s been shuffled on and off the practice squad here over the years.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 July 2026
  • Burke piles fascinating shuffling sounds on top, invoking a quiet scuffle, maybe some cardboard boxes being knocked over in a storage space.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of shuffle

Phrases Containing dance

Browse Nearby Words

dam (up)
dance
dance attendance (upon)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dance. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dance

Nglish: Translation of dance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All