as in strutted
to walk with exaggerated arm and leg movements
pranced across the room dressed in an outrageous costume
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of pranced
Here, the Multimatic True Active Spool Valve dampers (TASV) pranced and pranged over bumps, dips and cracks.
—
Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Enjoying one of these moments free from scrutiny, the five-foot-five, stocky Smalls playfully picked up the captain’s distinctive floppy hat and pranced around the ship, imitating his mannerisms.
—Big Think, 13 Nov. 2025
The zebras pranced, all frisky energy; the elephants, lumbering and mournful, trailed behind with their ancient thoughts.
—AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025
Colette pranced by, her curls dangling in a ponytail.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Enjoying one of these moments free from scrutiny, the five-foot-five, stocky Smalls playfully picked up the captain’s distinctive floppy hat and pranced around the ship, imitating his mannerisms.
—Big Think, 13 Nov. 2025
The zebras pranced, all frisky energy; the elephants, lumbering and mournful, trailed behind with their ancient thoughts.
—AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025
Colette pranced by, her curls dangling in a ponytail.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pranced
Verb
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Bad Bunny spotlights Puerto Rican cuisine As Bad Bunny strutted down the Super Bowl stage, the singer highlighted the hallmarks of Puerto Rican cuisine.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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López joined in for a few moves, then strutted to the ring wearing beetle-green gloves.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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None of them had any idea as to what was wrong with Nix until Payton, in street clothes, strode back to the postgame podium for the second time Saturday night after the madness cleared.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
17 Jan. 2026
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Nineteen years ago, Mike Tomlin strode to a microphone in Pittsburgh, debuting his iconic, confident gait.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Once news of her operations came to light, Addison became the target of pro-life activists — who stalked and doxxed her, threw a brick into Grey Sloan’s clinic, and even tried to run her over with a car.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
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These included Martin, Bailey, Samantha Boniface and Melanie, who told The Guardian that Hardy cyber-stalked and harassed roughly 25 of their female classmates.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Attendee’s workday blues than completely vanished thanks to Billboard‘s Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year GELO, who swaggered about the stage and ignited the party with the littest cuts off his debut album, League of My Own.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Pranced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pranced. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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