dress rehearsal
Americannoun
-
dress rehearsals
plural
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.
If the data turned hotter or colder, the rival drafts were a dress rehearsal for recasting policy.
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
“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
He could get a dress rehearsal opening the batting for England Lions in two fixtures against South Africa A in May.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
Barack managed to slip into a back row and watch the dress rehearsal before leaving for Connecticut.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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