as in proms
a social gathering for dancing
who are you taking to the dance on Saturday night?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in steps
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 darts
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
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Recent Examples of dances
Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
This year festival-goers can tour the world with dances featuring everything from American hip-hop to Ukrainian folk dance.
—Anna Alejo, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Strutting across the stage, hitting little dances, casting sharp looks into the camera, unleashing primal Auto-screams—Jane Remover was confident at Gov Ball.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
And the dances tell part of the story, and the songs tell part of the story.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 8 June 2026
One aspect of that cultural exchange was the square form in group dances, which the French called the quadrille.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
And Jaiani, relatively tall for a ballerina, is more used to the high-altitude conditions dancing with 6-foot-4 Dylan Gutierrez (who on Thursday dances as the lovely guy Tatiana pragmatically marries) and, prior to that, Fabrice Calmels — who is even taller than Gutierrez.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
McDougall places this élitist, separatist tendency side by side with the more democratic, but no less fertile, creativity of the people who invented the city’s iconic dances.
—Marina Harss, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
These die-hard fans memorize songs, dances, and individual cheers for each player to keep the energy high, and their antics are at least as interesting as the action on the field.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
Demi Remick, who currently dances alongside a live iteration of the YouTube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, is adapting Eleanor Powell’s solos from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Tolly Sherry dances with her son Brad at his wedding.
—Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 27 May 2026
The food dances seamlessly between Asian flavors, pulling inspiration from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and more, and local ingredients from the Gulf South.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Guided by the imperious voiceover of family matriarch Ann (Francis Annis), Soames chases after the lovely Irene (Millie Gibson), who scandalously dances ballet and wants to go to Paris.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Then Nelson dances a guy in the neutral zone and gets tripped … like, that’s what the penalties are for.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Farrow said her favorite styles of dance are ballet and hip-hop, and her best friend also dances at the studio.
—Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
But the composer also makes great use of the saxophone, which playfully dances through melodies that transport the viewer back to the swinging '60s and evokes the spirit of Henry Mancini.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
In 1932 Berlin, a trans man named Bertie dances the nights away with his friends at the Eldorado Club, the hub of Berlin’s thriving LGBTQ+ community.
—Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
This year festival-goers can tour the world with dances featuring everything from American hip-hop to Ukrainian folk dance.
—Anna Alejo, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Strutting across the stage, hitting little dances, casting sharp looks into the camera, unleashing primal Auto-screams—Jane Remover was confident at Gov Ball.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
And the dances tell part of the story, and the songs tell part of the story.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 8 June 2026
One aspect of that cultural exchange was the square form in group dances, which the French called the quadrille.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
And Jaiani, relatively tall for a ballerina, is more used to the high-altitude conditions dancing with 6-foot-4 Dylan Gutierrez (who on Thursday dances as the lovely guy Tatiana pragmatically marries) and, prior to that, Fabrice Calmels — who is even taller than Gutierrez.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
McDougall places this élitist, separatist tendency side by side with the more democratic, but no less fertile, creativity of the people who invented the city’s iconic dances.
—Marina Harss, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
These die-hard fans memorize songs, dances, and individual cheers for each player to keep the energy high, and their antics are at least as interesting as the action on the field.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2026
Verb
And Floyd Smernitch dances plenty.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
Demi Remick, who currently dances alongside a live iteration of the YouTube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, is adapting Eleanor Powell’s solos from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Tolly Sherry dances with her son Brad at his wedding.
—Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 27 May 2026
The food dances seamlessly between Asian flavors, pulling inspiration from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and more, and local ingredients from the Gulf South.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Guided by the imperious voiceover of family matriarch Ann (Francis Annis), Soames chases after the lovely Irene (Millie Gibson), who scandalously dances ballet and wants to go to Paris.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Then Nelson dances a guy in the neutral zone and gets tripped … like, that’s what the penalties are for.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
Farrow said her favorite styles of dance are ballet and hip-hop, and her best friend also dances at the studio.
—Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
But the composer also makes great use of the saxophone, which playfully dances through melodies that transport the viewer back to the swinging '60s and evokes the spirit of Henry Mancini.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dances
Noun
-
Their stores specialize in dresses for proms, weddings, special occasions and quinceañeras.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
That philosophy extends across the property and informs its relationship with the local community, many of whom experienced the hotel through proms, weddings and milestone events over the decades.—
Jesse Scott,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Just steps away, City Hall Plaza has been transformed into the FIFA Fan Festival site, where city officials say up to 5,000 fans per match can gather during the free event.—
Aaron Parseghian,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
At the top end is the OMVI X16 PoE, which steps things up with a 24MP triple-lens system, combining a 16MP dual panoramic camera with a 4K 8MP pan-tilt lens.—
Paul Lamkin,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Alex is a cop, and his partner, Dwayne (Brandon Jay McLaren), begins to tell him about how nothing ever happens in the town when Riley, a shoeless bloody escapee from the Tall Pines facility, darts into the road in front of their cruiser.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
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Make the 35-minute drive out to Natick to visit Bosse, a state-of-the-art indoor facility with 21 pickleball courts, a golf simulator and darts lounge.—
Kim Foley MacKinnon,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But don’t miss a costume ball at the Library of Congress, tall ships in Alexandria, multiple film festivals, a taste of Sweden on the National Mall, block parties, wine tastings and a Friday night tribute to the Warped Tour — also in town this weekend.—
Fritz Hahn,
Washington Post,
11 June 2026
-
While some of the city’s other historic sites don’t currently bring in any revenue, Independence City Manager Troy Anderson said in April, custodial societies at both the Vaile and Bingham-Waggoner properties run frequent tours and throw summer festivals.—
Ilana Arougheti
June 11,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
As the group shuffles toward catastrophe, Verbinski intercuts their mission with flashbacks to their civilian lives.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Upstairs, a disco deep cut plays while Byrd flits about greeting everyone.—
Mike Albo,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
-
Over sunny instrumentation, Rhys flits back and forth between English and Welsh in what feels like a nonsensical miasma of free association.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
We’re thrilled that Walt Disney World will serve as the immersive setting for a Hallmark holiday movie highlighting the cheerful festivities of the season.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
-
Viewing areas will offer special festive food and beverage menus and family-friendly holiday festivities, such as bonfires and s’mores, live music, holiday games and Santa.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The movie plunks us down at Mar-a-Lago, where Melania struts out the door and into the back of an SUV, which will take her to the red-white-and-blue private plane painted with the word TRUMP that’s waiting for her at the airport.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Wednesday Adams is an older teenager of 18 or 19 who struts the stage in a black bob and black leather pants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dances. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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