DANCES Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

dances 1 of 2

noun

Definition of dances next

plural of dance

as in proms

a social gathering for dancing who are you taking to the dance on Saturday night?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dances

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dance

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

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

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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 dances

Noun

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 On their way out — as security guards approach armed with fire extinguishers — one of the sprinters stops and dances to celebrate their successful escape, a move reminiscent of a taunt from the video game Fortnite. —

James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 The all-ages show will showcase the songs and drumbeats of Tahiti alongside the dances of Hawai’i, Samoa and the Maori people of New Zealand. —

Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2026 Creamsicle, a rooster once trapped in one of Pennsylvania’s largest cockfighting operations, now spends his days doing something no one expected — performing elaborate dances for a group of hens who can’t seem to get enough of him. —

Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026 On his most recent project, Cosa Nuestra, Rauw combines different eras and modern sounds with traditional rhythms and dances on a stage with a Broadway feel—this is something only Rauw can do. —

Time, 15 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