# tap dance

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/tap-dance
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Any act or performance, especially one viewed as servile, designed to please, appease, or win the approval of others.

## Examples

- He had to tap dance to keep his boss happy.
- The politician had to tap dance around the difficult questions to avoid upsetting his donors.
- Faced with an angry board of directors, the executive began a desperate tap dance to justify the company's recent financial failures.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.