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
Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
The plethora of works are markedly vibrant and fresh, from the Hamlet in Brooklyn who wears a beanie to the one who enjoys Bollywood-style dances in London.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
Directed by Katie Spelman, with original dances created by Agnes Demille.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Salinger’s duties included accompanying young women to dances, playing deck sports, and acting in plays.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
Visitors can still watch daily mermaid shows, which involve women donning colorful tails and performing aquatic dances and stunts.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Celebrations in the United States include maypole dances, crowning a May Queen, bonfires and other community gatherings.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Bukele devoured an entire political class that didn’t understand social media, for whom TikTok or Instagram were just dances and photos their kids watched on their phones, and YouTube just showed irrelevant videos that would never replace national television.
—Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
Some time after the group formed, Mellencamp signed on as the band’s second singer and performed with them at school dances, sock hops, fraternities, and battle of the bands competitions.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Now, Josie dances this crazy explosion in front of her.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Feb. 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
Then Ross dances the line between Zionism and Judaism.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
Maurice Vasquez dances in his prison cell to blaring rap music, wearing a straw hat and designer glasses.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
Over the decades, coming-of-age and teen genres on-screen have spawned many prom scenes, resulting in stunning looks showcased at on-screen high school dances.
—Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
The plethora of works are markedly vibrant and fresh, from the Hamlet in Brooklyn who wears a beanie to the one who enjoys Bollywood-style dances in London.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
Directed by Katie Spelman, with original dances created by Agnes Demille.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Salinger’s duties included accompanying young women to dances, playing deck sports, and acting in plays.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
Visitors can still watch daily mermaid shows, which involve women donning colorful tails and performing aquatic dances and stunts.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026
Celebrations in the United States include maypole dances, crowning a May Queen, bonfires and other community gatherings.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Bukele devoured an entire political class that didn’t understand social media, for whom TikTok or Instagram were just dances and photos their kids watched on their phones, and YouTube just showed irrelevant videos that would never replace national television.
—Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
Some time after the group formed, Mellencamp signed on as the band’s second singer and performed with them at school dances, sock hops, fraternities, and battle of the bands competitions.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Now, Josie dances this crazy explosion in front of her.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Feb. 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
Then Ross dances the line between Zionism and Judaism.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
Maurice Vasquez dances in his prison cell to blaring rap music, wearing a straw hat and designer glasses.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dances
Noun
-
In a memo to the Board of Education last week, King outlined how a nonattendance day would have affected more than 200 schools, including events such AP testing, proms and senior nights.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Fast forward 16 years, and members are in hiding in a sanctuary city in the forests of Northern California while life goes on for everyone else in the form of proms and getting stoned.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Taipei, Cheng spoke to CNN just steps away from the towering bronze statue of former KMT leader Chiang Kai-shek, whose defeat by communist forces during the Chinese civil war eight decades ago led to his retreat to the island – sowing the seed of tensions across the Taiwan Strait ever since.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
Midtown takes the number two spot, with a residential area just steps away from jobs, arts and university districts.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The striker is initially in a central area but then darts to the right side.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Chef Clark Bowen keeps things interesting by incorporating Middle-Eastern influences into an ever-changing menu that darts around the globe and offers intriguing combinations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Elaborate heritage festivals occur nearly every autumn weekend in the island’s interior.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
-
Bentley and Kwedar will also develop a slate with up-and-coming filmmakers selected from the world’s top festivals and film schools.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
As the movie flits between these different storylines, time is reframed less as something to resist (or defy) than as something to embrace.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Following Friday’s pregame festivities, Pedro Martinez made his way up to the press box and said standing on the field with his fellow club legends gave him goosebumps.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko attended the festivities in the Russian capital.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) flutters a Venezuelan and Cuban national flags in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dances. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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