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curtain raiser

See more synonyms for curtain raiser on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a short play preceding a main play.
  2. any preliminary event or performance.

Origin of curtain raiser

First recorded in 1885–90
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for curtain raiser

lead-in, kickoff, preliminary, preview, inaugural, countdown, opener, run-up, walk-up
Idioms and Phrases with curtain raiser

curtain raiser

Preliminary event, as in This limited attack on the chairman is just a curtain raiser for the concerted effort to oust him. This term literally refers to a short play or skit presented before the main theatrical production. It began to be transferred to other preliminaries about 1940.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.