as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
the opening of the performing arts center proved to be a curtain-raiser for the rebirth of the city's downtown
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Recent Examples of curtain-raiser
Typically, the kick-off in these early Champions League fixtures is regarded as the curtain-raiser to the new season and a sign that club football is finally back.
—
Stuart James, New York Times, 10 July 2025
The curtain-raiser for the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup finished 0-0 between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Al Ahly of Egypt on Saturday night.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
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
Stuart James, New York Times, 10 July 2025
The curtain-raiser for the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup finished 0-0 between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Al Ahly of Egypt on Saturday night.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtain-raiser
Noun
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The event will serve as a prelude to the main iHeartCountry Festival show later that evening at 7 p.m. the Moody Center.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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Yet the Southern California scores were a modest prelude to the job in Lebec.—
Daniel Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Today's listen Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Scripps National Spelling Bee is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week, with preliminaries kicking off last night.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
28 May 2025
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Sports High School Sports News See who qualified from Thursday's preliminaries for the CIFSS Division 1 finals on Saturday at Mt. SAC.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Curtain-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtain-raiser. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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