dummy run
A trial or practice before the real attempt.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We did a dummy run before the big presentation.”
“The team organized a dummy run of the evacuation procedure to ensure everyone knew exactly where to go during an emergency.”
“Before launching the complex software update, the developers conducted a thorough dummy run to identify potential system failures and mitigate risks.”
From the compound of dummy, in the sense of a false or simulated object, and run, meaning a trial or test. The term emerged as a designation for a practice exercise or a preliminary test of a process.
- 01
break into a run
To start running.
- 02
common run
Ordinary persons, things, or events.
- 03
dry run
A practice or rehearsal; especially, one that goes through all the motions of a physical process but without the raw material or workpiece present.
- 04
dummy spit
The act of overreacting (as an adult) to a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.
- 05
good run
Success over an extended period.
- 06
hit and run
A road accident in which a driver hits someone and then drives away without stopping to help or take responsibility.
- 07
hold with the hare and run with the hounds
To oppose an action or behavior and yet engage in the same action or behavior; to be a hypocrite.
- 08
learn to walk before one can run
Before one can perform a complicated task, one has to learn how to perform more simple tasks.
Last updated August 10, 2026