tap dance

noun

1
: a step dance tapped out audibly by means of shoes with hard soles or soles and heels to which taps have been added
2
: something suggesting a tap dance
especially : an action or discourse intended to rationalize or distract
does a clever tap dance to explain Campbell Geeslin
tap-dance intransitive verb
tap dancer noun
tap dancing noun

Examples of tap dance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The whole episode is about the tap dance these characters have to do in order to fund news coverage. Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 7 June 2024 This production is also buoyed throughout by strong tap dance scenes, especially two solos from Izaiah Montaque Harris as Eddie Ryan. Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 30 May 2024 People haul out a piano and play it underneath the arch for those great acoustics, people tap dance, people will busk. Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 18 May 2024 In the new staging the character of Tristan is an East Londoner — as is Essiedu – who woos Connie with dance moves inspired by rappers Childish Gambino and Tyler, the Creator, while original Tristan performed an Irish tap dance. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tap dance 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tap dance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tap dance was in 1928

Dictionary Entries Near tap dance

Cite this Entry

“Tap dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tap%20dance. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

tap dance

noun
: a dance tapped out loudly by means of shoes to which taps have been added
tap-dance verb
tap dancer noun
tap dancing noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tap dance

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