: a Brazilian dance of African origin with a basic pattern of step-close-step-close and characterized by a dip and spring upward at each beat of the music
also : the music for this dance
samba intransitive verb
Examples of samba in a Sentence
The band played a samba.
Recent Examples on the Web
The movement recalled samba’s Afro-Brazilian roots as a form of community and religious practices. —
Tamara Dunn, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2026 Splayed out across Bulgarian folk music, trance beats, bruxaria atmospheres, samba, and even bits of nueva ola, Free Spirits feels dialed all the way up. —Maria Nenet Barrios, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026 However, the film was also a celebration of Brazilian culture and traditions, especially samba, Carnival, and customs of the northeastern region where Moura was born and raised. —Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026 Street parties and samba Built in 1984 to provide a dedicated space for Rio’s competing escolas de samba, the Sambadrome has become a mainstay during Carnival – but the city’s blocos (street parties) are just as fundamental. —Laura French, TheWeek, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for samba
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tamara Dunn, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2026 Splayed out across Bulgarian folk music, trance beats, bruxaria atmospheres, samba, and even bits of nueva ola, Free Spirits feels dialed all the way up. —Maria Nenet Barrios, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026 However, the film was also a celebration of Brazilian culture and traditions, especially samba, Carnival, and customs of the northeastern region where Moura was born and raised. —Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026 Street parties and samba Built in 1984 to provide a dedicated space for Rio’s competing escolas de samba, the Sambadrome has become a mainstay during Carnival – but the city’s blocos (street parties) are just as fundamental. —Laura French, TheWeek, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for samba
Cite this Entry
“Samba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/samba. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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