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 Married couple Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita are dancing into the microseries space. — Peter White, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026 Among their favorite memories was dancing during a free performance on Lincoln Road, where passersby stopped to watch and later attended one of the festival’s theater performances. — Orlando Taquechel, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026 At dinner’s end, sparklers are passed out and lit, followed by dancing. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Windstar is known for its once-a-cruise deck barbecue, which is often followed by dancing on deck. — Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 However, he has been known to steal the show on a number of occasions with his cheeky antics, from dancing to the band’s music to dramatically covering his ears during a noisy flypast. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026 Below us, on the terrace of a lounge called VooDoo, several dozen people were dancing, drinks in hand, in front of a live band. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 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 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
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 Barcelona forward is a different option to Solanke with his ability in tight spaces and desire to stretch the defensive line with darting runs in-behind.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Tagging the Globetrotting travel company, the Fast Five actress shared a carousel of highlights from the safari, including photos of elephants in the wild, horseback riding excursions, and a cheetah darting into a tree—as well as her mini-me.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 28 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
  • Few heads turn despite her tall, unmistakable frame shuffling across the floor.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In the Van Morrison video, people are shuffling around him, walking directly in front of or around him, some of them appear to be hustling to somewhere more urgent, some of them may be stopping for a brief glance, and then moving on.
    — Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • The postgame image of Brees holding his then-1-year-old first child, Baylen, as both grasped at fluttering confetti, is iconic in New Orleans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Surrounded by hundreds of butterflies fluttering between tropical plants inside the Powell Gardens Conservatory, Heidi Boehm watched as visitors stopped, looked upward and waited for one to land nearby.
    — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 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
  • Flights at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major cargo hub, were disrupted during the night after a sighting of a flying object was reported and another object was found near a runway, police said Wednesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • As a result, the squad were much further down the fitness road in the States, helped by playing two friendlies against Wisla Krakow and Manchester United before flying out.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of flying

Browse Nearby Words

dances attendance (upon)
dancing
dancing attendance (upon)
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Cite this Entry

“Dancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dancing. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of dancing for Spanish Speakers

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