as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
the opening of the performing arts center proved to be a curtain-raiser for the rebirth of the city's downtown
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Recent Examples of curtain-raiser
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
In the past 14 years, only once has the winner of the traditional season curtain-raiser gone on to lift the Premier League title (Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side, who pipped Liverpool by a solitary point in 2018-19).
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
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
In the past 14 years, only once has the winner of the traditional season curtain-raiser gone on to lift the Premier League title (Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side, who pipped Liverpool by a solitary point in 2018-19).
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtain-raiser
Noun
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The Venezuelan regime has condemned the deployment as an act of coercion and a potential prelude to intervention.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
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What wasn’t revealed at the time, however, was how this was a prelude to the Netflix special early next year.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In 1988: Greg Louganis won the gold medal in the 3-meter springboard at the Seoul Olympics one day after hitting his head on the diving board during the preliminaries.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Galvin’s spokesperson said the issue was not related with the city’s administration of the preliminary.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Curtain-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtain-raiser. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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