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
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After completing the rehearsal, ground crews removed the rocket from the launch pad to install hardware for the vehicle’s flight termination system.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
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Wearing a smart suit jacket during rehearsal, Sandomir is very much the character of Tony.—
Amy Reyes
May 14,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Over the past three weeks, the collapse of the once-tight bond between two of the most prominent names in AI has been the subject of a high-profile trial in Oakland, California, after Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024 for allegedly violating their commitment to keep OpenAI as a nonprofit.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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Supreme Court overturns convictions The unraveling began publicly in October 2023 when Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial accusing Hill of jury tampering.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dry run.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dry%20run. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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