curtain-raiser
noun
cur·tain-rais·er
ˈkər-tᵊn-ˌrā-zər 
1
: a short play usually of one scene that is presented before the main full-length drama
2
: a usually short preliminary to a main event
Examples of curtain-raiser in a Sentence
the opening of the performing arts center proved to be a curtain-raiser for the rebirth of the city's downtown
Recent Examples on the Web
Only New Zealand comes in with a lower world ranking, and Les Grenadiers’ group features matchups with 2022 semifinalist Morocco and legendary Brazil (plus Scotland, whom Haiti will face in Foxboro’s World Cup curtain-raiser on June 13).
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026
The fixture list for next season, including whether there will be a Friday night curtain-raiser and the festive schedule, will be released on Friday, June 19 at 10am BST (5am ET).
—Luke Bosher, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Here’s a curtain-raiser on SXSW Music 2026, which runs from March 12-16 — with all of the different sub-festivals running concurrently, for the first time in the Austin gathering’s four-decade history.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
The world premiere of Hulu’s The Testaments is the curtain-raiser to this year’s Series Mania.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
The show is something of a curtain-raiser for the holiday and Christmas period for the royals as the show is broadcast in December on ITV1 in the U.K.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
Dense, yet never overwhelming, The Sanhedrin Chronicles is merely the curtain-raiser for an epic spanning multiple sequels.
—Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Neither outfit managed to find the back of the net in their curtain-raiser and collide at the London Stadium, aiming to finally get off the mark.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
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Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026
The fixture list for next season, including whether there will be a Friday night curtain-raiser and the festive schedule, will be released on Friday, June 19 at 10am BST (5am ET).
—Luke Bosher, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Here’s a curtain-raiser on SXSW Music 2026, which runs from March 12-16 — with all of the different sub-festivals running concurrently, for the first time in the Austin gathering’s four-decade history.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
The world premiere of Hulu’s The Testaments is the curtain-raiser to this year’s Series Mania.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
The show is something of a curtain-raiser for the holiday and Christmas period for the royals as the show is broadcast in December on ITV1 in the U.K.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
Dense, yet never overwhelming, The Sanhedrin Chronicles is merely the curtain-raiser for an epic spanning multiple sequels.
—Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Neither outfit managed to find the back of the net in their curtain-raiser and collide at the London Stadium, aiming to finally get off the mark.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Curtain-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtain-raiser. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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