dress rehearsal

noun

Synonyms of dress rehearsalnext
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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The upcoming wet dress rehearsal will officially kick off about two full days ahead of its simulated T-0 liftoff time, as launch teams begin tending their stations. Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026 The wet dress rehearsal will see NASA technicians load up the uncrewed spacecraft’s rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic fuel—specifically, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen—before running through a countdown to launch. Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 27 Jan. 2026 As the name suggests, the dress rehearsal checks all procedures and systems up to just before launch. Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026 Wet dress rehearsals ahead Standing at 322-feet tall, the SLS ‒ built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman ‒ is one of the largest active rockets in the world. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dress rehearsal

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dress rehearsal was in 1812

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Cite this Entry

“Dress rehearsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress%20rehearsal. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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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