song and dance

Definition of song and dancenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 song and dance My initial eye-roll reaction to this song and dance would suggest that in late May, shortly after the restaurant opened, my whimsy levels were running dangerously low. — Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026 This was before their dominance era, so the old noisy neighbours wanted to make a big song and dance out of the deal and erected a huge ‘Welcome to Manchester’ billboard to reflect what would soon be a changing of the guard in the city. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026 Luis Arraez is familiar with the song and dance of the trade deadline. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 July 2026 Feelings from optimism to selfishness to lust are all neatly captured with song and dance. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for song and dance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for song and dance
Noun
  • But hostile rhetoric on both sides underscored the difficulty of any diplomatic efforts.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • With their rhetoric, the companies appear to be seeking public favor and to set the terms for their own safety protocols in the unregulated market, experts, analysts and former government evaluators told the Associated Press.
    — Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • And the rigmarole of international travel is a very good reason.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
  • 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
  • This dumbed-down Goebbels gobbledygook revived talking points that Habermas had tried to quash during the Historikerstreit.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
  • But at least some of it was gobbledygook.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • In the hype phase, tools are funded by temporary R&D or innovation budgets.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • See what the hype is all about for yourself, and don’t forget to personalize the piece with up to three letters.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Dozens of countries’ names were misspelled or written in pure gibberish.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Dozens of other countries' names were misspelled or written in pure gibberish.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Pat Paulsen, a master of dry wit, delivered droll, double-talk editorials on social issues before mounting a presidential campaign in 1968 with the Straight Talkin’ American Government (STAG) Party.
    — Fred A. Bernstein, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023
  • What new form of narrative, what gory amalgam of truth and spectacle, what double-talking rough beast approaches?
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2023

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Song and dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/song%20and%20dance. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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