dress rehearsal

noun

1
: a full rehearsal (as of a play) in costume and with stage properties shortly before the first performance
2
: a practice exercise for something to come : dry run

Examples of dress rehearsal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But if this had been a dress rehearsal for the Big One, the Bay Area’s crisis plans had flopped. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 8 July 2025 While Philadelphia’s Club World Cup schedule may be over, this summer proved to be a positive dress rehearsal for the city’s hosting duties for the 2026 World Cup. Mark Carey, New York Times, 4 July 2025 The rest of the world might call it a dress rehearsal. Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2025 The postponement could also be due to an issue discovered during Friday's wet dress rehearsal, after which the Starship was destacked. Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for dress rehearsal

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dress rehearsal was in 1828

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Cite this Entry

“Dress rehearsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress%20rehearsal. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

dress rehearsal

noun
: a rehearsal of a play in costume and with stage properties shortly before the first performance

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