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

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

The task required the writers to rehearse for months to map out contingencies and shape character arcs.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

The students rehearse their choreography before a mirror even before class starts, and many of them use rest breaks to ask friends for help to correct their steps.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

Each act had 10 to 20 minutes to rehearse with the backing band and technical staff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

“We have a big day tomorrow, folks. We’ll be taking the dogs over to the Wilford station to rehearse the train-jumping scene. Go home. Get some rest!”

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

In the next scene, Howze is splayed out on a mattress beneath a suspended fun house mirror, skis dangling from the ceiling as he rehearses his final thoughts.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

Take an American ballerina, clad in shimmering white, caught in a blur of revolving motion as she rehearses in China.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2023

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

From Salon ● May 22, 2023

So he often rehearses several times before delivering a major address.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2023

Ralph answered in the cautious voice of one who rehearses a theorem.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Before the main drop for premium screenings last week, he rehearsed the steps it would take to improve his chances of snagging them online.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

The more a team relies on rehearsed mechanisms, the more it depends on precision.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

The entire exchange feels rehearsed, even though it’s clear Vance is hoping to channel some of that off-the-cuff energy that made Obama’s chat with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen so entertaining.

From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2026

What thoughts popped into your head as you rehearsed the scene?

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2026

Tree-ear rehearsed his words one last time as he neared Min’s house.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

One performer described the worst possible outcome: working all week, staying up all night, writing sketches, rehearsing constantly, and then discovering on Saturday night that you don’t even need hair and makeup.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

They’re stumbling through choreography, rehearsing and laughing with each misstep.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

The iconic singer resided in the property while he was rehearsing for his “This Is It” tour, which he was due to embark upon in July 2009.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026

Behind one door, a group was rehearsing a number from the musical "Six".

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

“Then Brooke, and that sixth grader with the guitar I heard rehearsing in the stairwell, and, of course, the Great Timdini.”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

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