tan·go
ˈtaŋ-(ˌ)gō 
plural tangos
1
: a ballroom dance of Latin American origin in ²/₄ time with a basic pattern of step-step-step-step-close and characterized by long pauses and stylized body positions
also
: the music for this dance
2
: interaction marked by a lack of straightforwardness
the suspect's tango with police
Tango
3 of 3communications code word
—used as a code word for the letter t
Examples of tango in a Sentence
Noun
The band played a tango.
Verb
He's trying to learn how to tango.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
His set covered a wide range of genres, from tango to jazz and EDM.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
The colorful story of a woman tangoing her way through the grieving process after her husband abruptly dies is set in Tokyo’s ballroom dancing scene, with characters seamlessly switching between speaking English, Spanish, and Japanese.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tango
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Noun
Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.
—Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
His set covered a wide range of genres, from tango to jazz and EDM.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Debicki's character brings up the events of the first movie, wherein Cliff and Leonardo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton — the Hollywood actor Cliff doubled for on screen — tangoed with the Manson Family.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
The colorful story of a woman tangoing her way through the grieving process after her husband abruptly dies is set in Tokyo’s ballroom dancing scene, with characters seamlessly switching between speaking English, Spanish, and Japanese.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tango
Cite this Entry
“Tango.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tango. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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