as in rehearsal
a private performance or session in preparation for a public appearance
we had time for just one dry run of the play before opening night
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Recent Examples of dry run
So, consider today a dry run of what will ultimately occur when the war winds down.
—
Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
In short, the conflict contained a dry run for a potential chemical attack.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
In retrospect, Kinetta feels like a dry run for Lanthimos, with all the droll affectation of his later provocations but little of the allegorical power or lunatic comedy that would distinguish them.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
The man tried a dry run on rear-ending the police SUV before hitting the SUV with an officer inside, according to the county sheriff and video.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dry run
Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
In short, the conflict contained a dry run for a potential chemical attack.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
In retrospect, Kinetta feels like a dry run for Lanthimos, with all the droll affectation of his later provocations but little of the allegorical power or lunatic comedy that would distinguish them.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
The man tried a dry run on rear-ending the police SUV before hitting the SUV with an officer inside, according to the county sheriff and video.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dry run
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dry run
Noun
-
These rehearsals, still widely unknown and spanning from late 1943 through April 1944, involved dangerous friendly fire and suffered from serious coordination errors, resulting in the real-life deaths of at least 700 American and British soldiers.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
The timing was already brutal because Travolta needed to finish the film in time to begin rehearsals for Grease opposite Olivia Newton-John.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Laura said Vallow Daybell's actions during the trial did not meet the serious nature of the courtroom.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Lewis oversaw workshops with school kids himself, traveling to schools in his free time, staging mock trials and handing out copies of legal documents, like the Constitution.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dry run.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dry%20run. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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