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.
He told everyone it was a pleasure to be there as a dress rehearsal for testifying before Congress.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
But Qatar was largely a dress rehearsal for this summer, when the World Cup will return to the U.S. for the first time in 32 years.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
“They did a whole series of exercises to try and get together a full-scale dress rehearsal of what D-day would be,” Maras says.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
One set is given by a jury of music industry professionals after watching the second dress rehearsal.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
We saw this as a dress rehearsal for the campaign Mr. de Klerk would wage against us.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
