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
Besides airing from Milan, the curtain-raiser will beam from three Alpine venues — Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo — to a global audience estimated at more than 2 billion viewers.
—
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Read our curtain-raiser profile on the film here.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026
The Supercopa de España began in 1982 as a quick curtain-raiser between the La Liga champions and the Copa del Rey winners, usually over two legs.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
The show is something of a curtain-raiser for the holiday and Christmas period for the royals as the show is broadcast in December on ITV1 in the U.K.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
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
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Read our curtain-raiser profile on the film here.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2026
The Supercopa de España began in 1982 as a quick curtain-raiser between the La Liga champions and the Copa del Rey winners, usually over two legs.
—Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
The show is something of a curtain-raiser for the holiday and Christmas period for the royals as the show is broadcast in December on ITV1 in the U.K.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtain-raiser
Noun
-
Mays is wheelchair-bound for this wheezing prelude, so there’s a bit of a magic act that seems to happen when he is transformed into a young Salieri for most of what follows.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
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This self-mocking move may be just the prelude to a fuller jeans-guy renaissance, Heffernan suggested.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Switzerland crushed Germany in the men’s curling preliminaries, keeping a consistent lead before ending the game with a score of 8-4.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, the men’s hockey teams continue to navigate the preliminaries after a later start to their tournament.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Curtain-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtain-raiser. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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