dancing

verb

present participle of dance
1
as in stepping
to perform a series of usually rhythmic bodily movements to music she can't resist dancing to her favorite rock bands

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in darting
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 dancing Mizuno herself was a ballet dancer and trained at the Royal Ballet School before dancing with companies including English National Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet and Scottish Ballet. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 July 2026 And going back to movies, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael turned a cinema screening into a concert-like experience, with viewers singing, dancing and transforming the theater into an impromptu dance floor. — Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Olivia’s biggest takeaway from practice was when the players were dancing during the opening stretching period of practice. — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 July 2026 The series will feature the Manny Cepeda Orchestra quartet and Latin music and dancing for all ages. — Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2026 Before a fourth quarter that might have seen the intensity ramp up, there was Courtney Williams, dancing on the court, a turn of events that was hilarious and a sure sign that things weren’t about to get overserious. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 26 July 2026 As dinner gave way to dancing, Vosk had one more surprise waiting for her new husband. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026 Before the incident, people had celebrated peacefully, marching through the city for hours, dancing to loud music and cheering some 80 floats that participated in the parade. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026 Of course, the classic sing-along method gets kids singing and dancing at home—plus repeating the lyrics on their own might help kids remember numbers, letters, and colors even better. — Parents, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dancing
  1. stepping
  2. darting
  3. strutting
  4. flitting
  5. shuffling
  6. fluttering
  7. flicking
  8. flying
Verb
  • Less than three years after helping Washington play for a national championship, Polk is stepping away from the NFL.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • After wrapping up her Eternal Sunshine Tour in London on September 1, Ariana Grande will be stepping away from the public eye.
    — Roberta Mercuri, Vanity Fair, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of stepping
Verb
  • The site points out that dogs sticking their head or paws out the window could lead to them darting out or getting injured, and the brand says pets should be restricted to the backseat.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • Photos shared by the city on social media show the presence of law enforcement among the crowd, including a moment of what appears to be people darting from a firework going off near 23rd Street.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of darting
Verb
  • For now, everyone is strutting and Femi has been as good as advertised — maybe even better.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • The video then cut to Lima strutting down a hallway and modeling the outfit.
    — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of strutting
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
  • Within moments, someone pointed out a starling flitting across the hazy sky.
    — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
Definition of flitting
Verb
  • Pre-shot routines such as Patrick Cantlay’s foot-shuffling and Brian Harman’s waggles have driven golf fans up a wall.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Far more than an administrative exercise or paper-shuffling task, effective onboarding has the potential to lay the foundation for not only a successful hire, but for a mutually satisfying employment tenure.
    — Zaharia-Gabriel Sidere, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • The sky was alive with millions of fluttering shapes, congregating into clouds at random, occasionally turning into ribbons that wound through the trees.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
  • Both are excellent as women emerging from a pupa of damage and tentatively fluttering their wings.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026
Definition of fluttering
Verb
  • Another flash of brilliance came against St Louis City last season, another sensational assist, this one coming from flicking the ball through a defender with a sort of dynamic, Cruyff turn/backheel hybrid move, through to Matheus Nascimento.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • His violent men — Scott’s sinister dad and Melton’s sad one — light cigarettes by flicking matches on their ears and teeth.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of flicking
Verb
  • Breakker connected with a flying cross body over the barricade on Breakker as Cole talked up Evans developing an edge.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • But years later, some of the highest-flying professional clubs have folded due to financial mismanagement, and dozens of soccer officials have been banned or imprisoned, and numerous teams ensnared in an anti-graft campaign.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of flying

Browse Nearby Words

dances attendance (upon)
dancing
dancing attendance (upon)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dancing. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of dancing for Spanish Speakers

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