dry run

noun

1
: a practice exercise : rehearsal, trial
2
: a practice firing without ammunition

Examples of dry run in a Sentence

We did a dry run of the experiment. After several dry runs, she was ready to give the speech.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The amount of work this takes to pull off is staggering to think about — the preceding episodes feel almost like dry runs to prove something as complicated as this could actually be pulled off. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025 Yet Saboteur never plays like a dry run for North by Northwest. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025 Connor Norby’s first extended run at the MLB level last season was a dry run of sorts. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025 Last Saturday, during what turned out to be a dry run for this week’s effort, Brockert and his chefs sent 1,600 donated hot dogs and mortadella sandwiches, but without coordinating drivers and pickup times, the small restaurant and its pizza orders became bottlenecked. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dry run

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dry run was circa 1941

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dry run.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dry%20run. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

dry run

noun
1
: a practice firing without ammunition
2
: a practice exercise
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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