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

Relevance
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 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 Robot maker Unitree, known for the dancing humanoid robots that have become a fixture of Chinese state television broadcasts, is also pursuing a Shanghai listing. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 July 2026 Video shared by the nonprofit captures dozens of dads participating in library outings over the past year, with children laughing, dancing and gathering for storytime alongside their fathers. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026 On another, visitors shared walkways with dancing humanoid robots and attendees pushed through crowds for an ideal spot to watch robots face off in boxing matches. — Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 21 July 2026 The Hippyatnik festival, which first started in 1972, is known to be a gathering place for members of various subcultures; activities range from singing and dancing to body painting, cosplay, and sword fighting. — Lesya Lapina & Sergey Hyugge, The Dial, 21 July 2026 Once burning, the fire would engulf larger pieces of wood until the flames were really dancing. — Mark Swinney, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026 Kris Jenner Kim Kardashian Kylie Jenner Kylie reshared a tribute post from a fan account that posted a video of little Kylie dancing with her grandmother. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 16 July 2026 And if that wasn’t enough, a silver dancing Frozen Charlatan usually interrupts the set until White kicks him off, giving the audience a moment of light comedy. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 16 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
  • Once Emily commits to stepping away from what tethered her to her past, a new freedom, and maybe new fears, emerge.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 July 2026
  • That person’s only responsibility is watching the children — not stepping away to talk with friends or scrolling through a phone.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 July 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
  • Beyond their cool-girl air, the shoes offer plenty of support and cushioning thanks to their plush insoles that keep your arches comfortable for hours of strutting.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 July 2026
  • Sweltering 94 degree heat encased San Jose on June 11, but that didn’t stop dozens of middle-age and bearded men from confidently strutting around Santana Row in heels.
    — Shivika Verma, Mercury News, 6 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
  • Both are excellent as women emerging from a pupa of damage and tentatively fluttering their wings.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026
  • But Curls Ultra aren’t solely interested in resurrecting the mysticism of the past or indulging in the parties of the present, the occasional fluttering flute solo or boisterous sax line notwithstanding.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 26 June 2026
Definition of fluttering
Verb
  • 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
  • France trailed 4-0 before Mbappé sparked a comeback attempt, flicking the ball past goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 48th minute before adding a second with a left-footed finish from about 14 yards in the 66th.
    — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 20 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 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dancing

Nglish: Translation of dancing for Spanish Speakers

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 aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

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

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All