Synonyms

rehearse

American

[ri-hurs] / rɪˈhɜrs /

verb (used with object)

to practice (a musical composition, a play, a speech, etc.) in private prior to a public presentation.
to drill or train (an actor, musician, etc.) by rehearsal, as for some performance or part.
to relate the facts or particulars of; recount.

Synonyms:

recapitulate, narrate, portray, describe, delineate

verb (used without object)

to rehearse a play, part, etc.; participate in a rehearsal.

rehearse British

/ rɪˈhɜːs /

verb

to practise (a play, concert, etc), in preparation for public performance
(tr) to run through; recount; recite

the official rehearsed the grievances of the committee
(tr) to train or drill (a person or animal) for the public performance of a part in a play, show, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See relate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of rehearse

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English rehersen, rehercen, from Middle French rehercier “to repeat,” equivalent to re- “again, over and over” + hercier “to strike, harrow” (derivative of herce, herse “a harrow”); see re-, hearse

Explanation

When you rehearse, you practice something. You and your cast mates will need to rehearse for several weeks before you'll be ready to perform the entire two hours and forty-five minutes of the musical "Hamilton." A new teacher might rehearse before his first day teaching math to ninth graders, and you'll want to rehearse before you sing the national anthem on the field before a baseball game begins. If you're nervous about something, like asking someone to the prom, you might rehearse it in your mind. At the root of rehearse is the Old French word rehercier, which means both "go over again," and "rake and turn over the soil."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

rehearse rehearses rehearsed rehearsing

As part of the operation, the carrier will rehearse how an Allied naval force would operate together in the event of a crisis, the Navy said.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Rehearsal is formally a space where you practice a role; informally, it is where, in the background moments, you rehearse your version of yourself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

At one of Snabbit's training hubs in the southern tech hub of Bengaluru, workers rehearse tasks such as chopping vegetables against the clock.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Kwan said she would attend presentations with her sales team and rehearse what she saw in the mirror “over and over and over again” until it became second nature.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026

When we finally do rehearse, it’s a mess.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

The reborn Chevy Metal still rehearses in what Woods describes as Taylor’s “man cave.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Backstage, as an orchestra rehearses and cameras document his every move, South African superstar Black Coffee is preparing for one of the biggest performances of his career.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

Now, this documentary is taking viewers behind the scenes with the playwright Jeremy O. Harris as he workshops and rehearses, before ultimately bringing the play to the big stage.

From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2024

Channeling that energy, he rehearses his fact-heavy, feelings-scant eulogy.

From Salon ● May 22, 2023

Orson Welles rehearses The Campbell Playhouse in this 1938 CBS publicity composite.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

The group rehearsed “pretty much every night,” performed frequently and promoted itself aggressively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

They learnt four dances, practised hard and rehearsed at home to prepare for the event, Fernhill House Care Home said.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

Then, against advice, he presented a meticulously crafted and rehearsed speech at his sentencing hearing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

The hosts of “The View” did not allow him to coast on his carefully rehearsed charm.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

The show has been unhurried and leisurely, as Welles rehearsed.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

The scandal blew up while Lisa was rehearsing for a pivotal performance at the Coachella Festival in 2025.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

We changed the band’s name in 1964 to the Spiders and played primal rock, rehearsing five hours a day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Troops in flashy uniforms have been rehearsing on the White House driveway this week ahead of the welcome ceremony.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

There’s a semi-out culture in which Jordan and Eddy are rehearsing for a performance of John Herbert’s 1967 gay prison play, “Fortune and Men’s Eyes.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

The choir had been rehearsing for weeks, but on the day of the feast the soprano fell ill with bronchitis.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023