as in rhetoric
language marked by abstractions, jargon, euphemisms, and circumlocutions
instead of simply denying our request, the mayor's representative gave us a song and dance about legal issues and municipal liability
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of song and dance
In Barnes’ case, the boots aren’t just for weekend wear or a short drag routine but need to endure eight shows a week of energetic song and dance performances.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Before long, smitten cast members, including Sarah Sherman and a cameraman wearing an I (Heart) Harry shirt who kept focusing on Styles, proved too much for Gosling, who called off a big song and dance number featuring most of the cast in silver space attire.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Not his first blockbuster deal This isn’t Gore’s first time doing the song and dance of being traded.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026
Just stop with this whole song and dance between Kuminga and Steve Kerr.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for song and dance
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Before long, smitten cast members, including Sarah Sherman and a cameraman wearing an I (Heart) Harry shirt who kept focusing on Styles, proved too much for Gosling, who called off a big song and dance number featuring most of the cast in silver space attire.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Not his first blockbuster deal This isn’t Gore’s first time doing the song and dance of being traded.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026
Just stop with this whole song and dance between Kuminga and Steve Kerr.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for song and dance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for song and dance
Noun
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However, the website of the pro-cap campaign appears to draw on anti-Muslim rhetoric to make its case.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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And despite the Education Department’s rhetoric, borrowers are still getting their student loans discharged.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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And the rigmarole of international travel is a very good reason.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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Alternatives were mooted, such as filming in England, but flying all the crew from Poland, and their associated visa requirements, would have added to the rigmarole.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This time, however, Spielberg seems to be not so much leading as following the decades of lore and mythology — and gobbledygook — that his movie of 49 years ago helped inspire.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
9 June 2026
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The prompts must make sense and cannot just be gobbledygook.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Despite a large retail allocation and a huge amount of hype, trading wasn’t especially volatile and the positive momentum continued after the market closed for the weekend.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
13 June 2026
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Whereas the World Cup has long given way to the phenomenon of the English World Cup hype anthem (of these, New Order’s 1990 banger World in Motion is arguably the most listenable outside the context of the actual event), the tradition seems to have sputtered out.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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On Saturday Night Live, host Will Ferrell and musical guest Paul McCartney played a couple of gibberish-speaking mechanics who end up taking some naive car owners for a ride.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2026
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And these worlds aren’t even real, just ones and zeros merged to form a network of communication that sometimes feels like incoherent gibberish.—
Brandon Kaipo Moningka,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Driving the news: The statement was published only in English on the Facebook page of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office — potentially another case of double-talk by Netanyahu.—
Barak Ravid,
Axios,
27 Sep. 2024
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The GOP Senate candidate in Arizona, whose brand is a combative, never-back-down MAGA politics, has adopted a position on the issue that is nearly indistinguishable from that of double-talking Democrats.—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
14 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Song and dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/song%20and%20dance. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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