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
Typically, the kick-off in these early Champions League fixtures is regarded as the curtain-raiser to the new season and a sign that club football is finally back.
—
Stuart James, New York Times, 10 July 2025
The curtain-raiser for the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup finished 0-0 between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Al Ahly of Egypt on Saturday night.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The curtain-raiser for the 2025 tennis season.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Now, that is pretty funny for a piece that was supposed to be a curtain-raiser, and Lynch swatted away my attempts to find out, well, anything at all.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
Aston Martin alternates six sets of such containers globally in order to reach all 24 races in time, with the Doha shipment already en route to Australia for the 2025 curtain-raiser in March.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Dyche also confirmed that captain Seamus Coleman (calf), James Garner (calf), Nathan Patterson (hamstring) and young striker Youssef Chermiti (foot) would also miss the weekend curtain-raiser against Brighton.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
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Stuart James, New York Times, 10 July 2025
The curtain-raiser for the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup finished 0-0 between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Al Ahly of Egypt on Saturday night.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The curtain-raiser for the 2025 tennis season.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Now, that is pretty funny for a piece that was supposed to be a curtain-raiser, and Lynch swatted away my attempts to find out, well, anything at all.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
Aston Martin alternates six sets of such containers globally in order to reach all 24 races in time, with the Doha shipment already en route to Australia for the 2025 curtain-raiser in March.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Dyche also confirmed that captain Seamus Coleman (calf), James Garner (calf), Nathan Patterson (hamstring) and young striker Youssef Chermiti (foot) would also miss the weekend curtain-raiser against Brighton.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Curtain-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtain-raiser. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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