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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Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, said teams need to analyze the full results of the wet dress rehearsal before another practice run can be scheduled. Denise Chow, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026 The mission had been scheduled to lift off as soon as February 8, but NASA said several issues emerged during a wet dress rehearsal conducted early today, including hydrogen leaks. Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026 Isaacman said teams will review this test’s data, troubleshoot each issue and make repairs with plans to perform a second wet dress rehearsal on the pad and then target a March launch date. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2026 Most prominently, engineers detected leaking hydrogen during the test, known as a wet dress rehearsal that simulates a launch day countdown. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Feb. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dress rehearsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress%20rehearsal. Accessed 10 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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