as in rehearsal
a private performance or session in preparation for a public appearance
we had time for just one dry run of the play before opening night
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Recent Examples of dry run
In short, the conflict contained a dry run for a potential chemical attack.
—
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
In retrospect, Kinetta feels like a dry run for Lanthimos, with all the droll affectation of his later provocations but little of the allegorical power or lunatic comedy that would distinguish them.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
The man tried a dry run on rear-ending the police SUV before hitting the SUV with an officer inside, according to the county sheriff and video.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Safety officials at the stadium, meanwhile, used last summer’s Gold Cup soccer match between Mexico and Honduras as a security dry run for next summer’s FIFA men’s World Cup.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dry run
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025
In retrospect, Kinetta feels like a dry run for Lanthimos, with all the droll affectation of his later provocations but little of the allegorical power or lunatic comedy that would distinguish them.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
The man tried a dry run on rear-ending the police SUV before hitting the SUV with an officer inside, according to the county sheriff and video.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Safety officials at the stadium, meanwhile, used last summer’s Gold Cup soccer match between Mexico and Honduras as a security dry run for next summer’s FIFA men’s World Cup.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dry run
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dry run
Noun
-
And an unnecessary coda that comes after the curtain call never should have made it out of rehearsals.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
During the next rehearsal break, Simpson and Reyes returned with champagne, flowers and other gifts to congratulate him.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Eventually, he would be given a fair trial by a jury of his peers.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
But whether a potential second film would try to acknowledge the abuse allegations against Jackson, including those at the center of a 2005 trial that ended in his acquittal on all counts, is unclear.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dry run.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dry%20run. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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