dress rehearsal
Americannoun
noun
-
the last complete rehearsal of a play or other work, using costumes, scenery, lighting, etc, as for the first night
-
any full-scale practice
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dress rehearsal
First recorded in 1820–30
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.
The third season opens with the sound of Weaver breathing deeply in a dress rehearsal for her solo in a DCC stage show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
He told everyone it was a pleasure to be there as a dress rehearsal for testifying before Congress.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
One set is given by a jury of music industry professionals after watching the second dress rehearsal.
From Barron's ● May 16, 2026
Thirty years later, Steven Spielberg would bring Pakula’s idea to fruition with “The Post,” about Graham’s decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, a dress rehearsal for the even higher stakes of Watergate a year later.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Barack managed to slip into a back row and watch the dress rehearsal before leaving for Connecticut.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
