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
Wahlberg was in Cannes with co-star Sonequa Martin-Green for the world premiere of Boston Blue, which was a curtain-raiser for the MIPCOM event.
—
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
Dense, yet never overwhelming, The Sanhedrin Chronicles is merely the curtain-raiser for an epic spanning multiple sequels.
—Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Neither outfit managed to find the back of the net in their curtain-raiser and collide at the London Stadium, aiming to finally get off the mark.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
In the past 14 years, only once has the winner of the traditional season curtain-raiser gone on to lift the Premier League title (Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side, who pipped Liverpool by a solitary point in 2018-19).
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
Dense, yet never overwhelming, The Sanhedrin Chronicles is merely the curtain-raiser for an epic spanning multiple sequels.
—Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Neither outfit managed to find the back of the net in their curtain-raiser and collide at the London Stadium, aiming to finally get off the mark.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
In the past 14 years, only once has the winner of the traditional season curtain-raiser gone on to lift the Premier League title (Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side, who pipped Liverpool by a solitary point in 2018-19).
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtain-raiser
Noun
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The campaign to defund the arts, capture our museums, and rewrite our history is a prelude to silencing dissent itself.—
Andrew Weinstein,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
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Maduro, meanwhile, has framed the buildup as a prelude to invasion and praised Venezuela’s readiness to defend its sovereignty.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Santana finished a weak fourth in the preliminary.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
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In 1988: Greg Louganis won the gold medal in the 3-meter springboard at the Seoul Olympics one day after hitting his head on the diving board during the preliminaries.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Curtain-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtain-raiser. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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