curtain-raiser
noun
cur·tain-rais·er
ˈkər-tᵊn-ˌrā-zər 
1
: a short play usually of one scene that is presented before the main full-length drama
2
: a usually short preliminary to a main event
Examples of curtain-raiser in a Sentence
the opening of the performing arts center proved to be a curtain-raiser for the rebirth of the city's downtown
Recent Examples on the Web
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The curtain-raiser for the 2025 tennis season.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Now, that is pretty funny for a piece that was supposed to be a curtain-raiser, and Lynch swatted away my attempts to find out, well, anything at all.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
Aston Martin alternates six sets of such containers globally in order to reach all 24 races in time, with the Doha shipment already en route to Australia for the 2025 curtain-raiser in March.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Dyche also confirmed that captain Seamus Coleman (calf), James Garner (calf), Nathan Patterson (hamstring) and young striker Youssef Chermiti (foot) would also miss the weekend curtain-raiser against Brighton.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
Now, that is pretty funny for a piece that was supposed to be a curtain-raiser, and Lynch swatted away my attempts to find out, well, anything at all.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
Aston Martin alternates six sets of such containers globally in order to reach all 24 races in time, with the Doha shipment already en route to Australia for the 2025 curtain-raiser in March.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
The curtain-raiser for the 2025 tennis season.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Now, that is pretty funny for a piece that was supposed to be a curtain-raiser, and Lynch swatted away my attempts to find out, well, anything at all.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
Aston Martin alternates six sets of such containers globally in order to reach all 24 races in time, with the Doha shipment already en route to Australia for the 2025 curtain-raiser in March.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Dyche also confirmed that captain Seamus Coleman (calf), James Garner (calf), Nathan Patterson (hamstring) and young striker Youssef Chermiti (foot) would also miss the weekend curtain-raiser against Brighton.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
This setting serves as a high-stakes curtain-raiser for the season.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
Now, that is pretty funny for a piece that was supposed to be a curtain-raiser, and Lynch swatted away my attempts to find out, well, anything at all.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025
Aston Martin alternates six sets of such containers globally in order to reach all 24 races in time, with the Doha shipment already en route to Australia for the 2025 curtain-raiser in March.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Curtain-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtain-raiser. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share