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View synonyms for

dry run

noun

  1. a rehearsal or practice exercise.

  2. Military.practice in firing arms without using live ammunition.



dry run

noun

  1. military practice in weapon firing, a drill, or a manoeuvre without using live ammunition

  2. informala trial or practice, esp in simulated conditions; rehearsal

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • dry-run adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of dry run1

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45
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Idioms and Phrases

A trial exercise or rehearsal, as in Regard this as a dry run for tonight's ceremony. This term, using dry in the sense of “unproductive,” was at first employed mainly in the military for simulated bombings in which no bombs were dropped. [c. 1940]
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

During the hearing, the court heard how the pair had trialled a "dry run" of the operation in April before attempting the real thing two months later.

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In November, Polish prosecutors said a series of parcel fires targeting courier companies in Europe were dry runs by groups aiming to sabotaging flights to the US and Canada.

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A series of parcel fires targeting courier companies in Poland, Germany and the UK were dry runs aimed at sabotaging flights to the US and Canada, Polish prosecutors say.

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Much of the build-up to both of England's recent games against New Zealand was if it was a dry run for next year's Rugby World Cup final.

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Officers had acted on intelligence and tracked the movements of two previous shipments in the lead-up to the seizure which officers described as "dry runs".

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