dance-off

noun

ˈdan(t)s-ˌȯf 

ˈdän(t)s-

plural dance-offs

: a dancing competition

The finals were a dance-off—one by one, each girl danced her routine alone, on stage, in front of an auditorium full of hundreds of strangers.

—Mark Coddington

One night they happened to catch a fox trot performed on Dancing With the Stars, the ABC battle-of-the-ballroom hit that paired … celebrities with professional dancers in a six-week dance-off.

—Michelle Andrews

Examples of dance-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bingo Loco flips the traditional game on its head by turning it into a three-hour stage show that features dance-offs, rave rounds, lip sync battles, throwback anthems, confetti showers, CO2 cannons and conga lines. —Holly Alvarado, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2025

The parking lot transforms into an après tailgate scene that rivals any stadium, complete with grills, lawn chairs, and the occasional dance-off in ski boots. —Roger Sands, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

Throw on some upbeat tunes (think Lizzo or Bruno Mars), and suddenly, dusting the shelves feels like a dance-off. —Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025

Ride down to the all-ages spring dance-off, Woolly’s Dance Party held weekly at the base lodge. —Anna Fiorentino, AFAR Media, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

dance entry 1 + -off

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dance-off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff