dance 1 of 2

noun

Definition of dancenext
as in prom
a social gathering for dancing who are you taking to the dance on Saturday night?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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dance

2 of 2

verb

ˈdan(t)s How to pronounce dance (audio)
1
as in to step
to perform a series of usually rhythmic bodily movements to music she can't resist dancing to her favorite rock bands

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to dart
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 dance
Noun
Wisdom is learned through the body and its interactions with others in the land and waters, from and through movement and multiple senses, such as music, dance, fragrance, touch, taste and seeing. — Chenier Carpio Opua, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026 Throughout the evening, attendees will be able to peruse a brand-new collection of altars, watch traditional folklorico and Aztec dance performances, enjoy Mexican cuisine from local businesses and learn about the remembrance holiday. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
Married couple Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita are dancing into the microseries space. — Peter White, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026 Rivas Hernandez was 11 then, a girl with big brown eyes who loved to sing and dance and lived with her parents and two older siblings in a modest stucco house in Lake Elsinore, a working-class exurb about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dance
  1. prom
  2. step
  3. dart
  4. festival
  5. waltz
  6. flit
  7. celebration
  8. shuffle
Noun
  • Two teenagers are taking their creativity to the next level with impressive prom dress and prom tux creations, both made out of duct tape.
    — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • After an incident involving a helicopter landing for prom in a public park in south suburban Markham, city officials are taking new steps to gain control of the park district.
    — Jermont Terry, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of prom
Verb
  • The challenge was designed to encourage the teens to step away from social media and constant smartphone use while focusing on their mental health.
    — Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • There’s literally no stepping away from the table for a classic Below Deck mid-dinner conversation.
    — Emma Soren, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of step
Verb
  • The Falcons’ second-year safety watched the snap, darted into the backfield and nabbed receiver Zachariah Branch on an end-around.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of dart
Noun
  • Two people were killed and several others injured when two shooters opened fire at Canada’s largest street festival in Toronto in July.
    — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The festival was first announced in February at a press conference attended by Mayor Karen Bass, with organizers — including founder and former city council member Martin Ludlow — anticipating 250,000 attendees for the citywide, weeks-long event.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of festival
Verb
  • Jey Uso lost to Oba Femi and decided to waltz over to SmackDown to try to get a shot at Zayn’s title.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • Sweden waltzed to a 5-1 victory against Tunisia in its opener, with its forward line of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres capitalizing on some poor defending.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
Definition of waltz
Verb
  • Both Kroupi and Alvarez flit between centre-forward and second-striker roles during matches.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of flit
Noun
  • Trump has managed to bring up grass at events as varied as the signing of an executive order on TikTok and the 2025 White House celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The community came together Wednesday to wish the young talent good luck at a send-off celebration and pizza party.
    — Allen Devlin, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of celebration
Verb
  • Because tokenized stocks exist alongside stablecoins and other digital assets on the same network, investors can move money between spending, saving, and investing without shuffling it across separate institutions.
    — Malana VanTyler, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Lyman and her family stood to leave, and although none of them spoke, the sound of more than 30 mourners shuffling out of a quiet room was enough to halt the court proceedings for a moment.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffle

Phrases Containing dance

Browse Nearby Words

dam (up)
dance
dance attendance (upon)
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Cite this Entry

“Dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dance. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dance

Nglish: Translation of dance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dance

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