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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Mexican-Australian tenor Diego Torre, set to play the title role, became ill the week of the show, prompting Minnesota Opera’s resident artist Ángel Vargas to cover for the singer at the dress rehearsal on Thursday night. Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026 China has conducted what appears to be a wet dress rehearsal, or fueling test, for its Long March 10B rocket, paving the way for a potential launch within weeks, Space News reports. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2026 Neville took his cameras behind the scenes at 30 Rock’s Studio 8H during multiple production weeks, capturing the frenzy of pitch meetings, writing night, table reads and dress rehearsals. Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026 So there’s one more dress rehearsal before the B’s get to the best part of the season many thought would not come – the playoffs. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 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 26 Apr. 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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