figure skating

noun

: skating characterized by the performance of various jumps, spins, and dance movements and formerly by the tracing of prescribed figures
figure skater noun

Examples of figure skating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The gold medalist famously quit figure skating at 16 before coming back on her own terms ahead of this winter's Olympics. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 Olympic champ Alysa Liu, the first American woman since 2002 to win figure skating gold, will skip the upcoming season. — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Oakland’s Alysa Liu, still basking in the glory of her breakout Olympic gold medal-winning figure skating performance six months ago, is taking a break. — Jon Becker, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 Teenagers in heavy eyeliner still spilled out of Hot Topic, and young girls practiced figure skating jumps on the ice. — Casey Parks, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for figure skating

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of figure skating was in 1834

Rhymes for figure skating

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Browse Nearby Words

figure skate
figure skating
figure stone
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Cite this Entry

“Figure skating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figure%20skating. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

figure skating

noun
: skating in which the skaters move in exact patterns and also perform various jumps and turns

More from Merriam-Webster on figure skating

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about figure skating

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