barrage

[ buh-rahzh; especially British bar-ahzh for 1, 2, 4, 5; bahr-ij for 3 ]

/ bəˈrɑʒ; especially British ˈbær ɑʒ for 1, 2, 4, 5; ˈbɑr ɪdʒ for 3 /

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See synonyms for: barrage / barraged / barraging on Thesaurus.com

noun

Military. a heavy barrier of artillery fire to protect one's own advancing or retreating troops or to stop the advance of enemy troops.

an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms: a barrage of questions.

Civil Engineering. an artificial obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of the water, facilitate irrigation, etc.

Mycology. an aversion response of sexually incompatible fungus cultures that are growing in proximity, revealed by a persistent growth gap between them.

verb (used with object), bar·raged, bar·rag·ing.

to subject to a barrage.

OTHER WORDS FOR barrage

2 volley, torrent, deluge, burst, storm.

See synonyms for barrage on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of barrage

1855–60; <French: blocking, barring off, barrier, equivalent to barr(er) to bar¹ + -age-age; artillery sense by ellipsis from French tir de barrage barrier fire

Words nearby barrage

barracoon, barracouta, barracuda, barracudina, Barra de São Francisco, barrage, barrage balloon, Barra Mansa, barramunda, barramundi, barranca

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use barrage in a sentence

Navigating the barrage of email and updatesFeeling chided by all the communications coming from schools can increase caregivers’ stress.
Remote school is stressing parents out. Here’s how to tame the anxiety.|Devorah Heitner|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
In the fourth quarter, Mahomes led a 21-point barrage to cement the stunning comeback.
What you need to know about Super Bowl LV|Sam Fortier|February 7, 2021|Washington Post
Another threat is presented by dams and barrages, which restrict the movement of dolphins.
The Unlikely Dolphin Rescue Hot Spot: Pakistan|Charu Kasturi|February 2, 2021|Ozy
Filmed with a GoPro camera, the video concludes with Ledbetter, who served in the Marine Corps from 2011 to 2015, blasting a wooden target with a barrage of bullets from a fully automatic AK-47-type carbine.
The Boogaloo Bois Have Guns, Criminal Records and Military Training. Now They Want to Overthrow the Government.|by A.C. Thompson, ProPublica, and Lila Hassan and Karim Hajj, FRONTLINE|February 1, 2021|ProPublica

In interviews Tuesday, voters told The Washington Post that they viewed the runoff as yet another referendum on the outgoing president, who has made this state ground zero for his barrage of false claims.
Pair of Georgia runoff races are razor close with U.S. Senate control at stake|Felicia Sonmez, Colby Itkowitz, John Wagner, Paulina Firozi, Amy B Wang|January 6, 2021|Washington Post
Both were convinced that the Syrian military, not its rebels, were behind the deadly sarin barrage.
The Kardashian Look-Alike Trolling for Assad|Noah Shachtman, Michael Kennedy|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A half-an-hour earlier they had been caught in the middle of a mortar barrage in a skirmish with separatists.
Shakeup In the Ukraine Rebel High Command|Jamie Dettmer|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The barrage and immediacy of these images magnifies these horrors.
You, Too, Could Be a Homicidal Zealot|Joel Gold|July 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ultimately, The Slap becomes something heartwarming amidst the barrage of stinging smacks.
Viral Video of the Day: Slapping Brings People Together|Alex Chancey|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Styles quickly removed the photo from his Twitter account, but not before fielding a barrage of angry tweets.
Pharrell, Harry Styles, and Native American Appropriation|Amy Zimmerman|June 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Si le barrage des Dardanelles n'était pas brisé, il serait tourné.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Behind that cloud of gas the German troops advanced, protected by a heavy barrage and intense machine-gun fire.
Ypres and the Battles of Ypres|Unknown
The English boys fought and force-marched and fought again their terrible way through the barrage to our aid.
Private Peat|Harold R. Peat
At that moment, there was a sudden rushing overhead, and an instant later the barrage began falling beyond the crest of the ridge.
Hunter Patrol|Henry Beam Piper and John J. McGuire
A project is on foot at present for a work of this nature, a barrage on the Nazas.
Mexico|Charles Reginald Enock

British Dictionary definitions for barrage

barrage

/ (ˈbærɑːʒ) /

noun

military the firing of artillery to saturate an area, either to protect against an attack or to support an advance

an overwhelming and continuous delivery of something, as words, questions, or punches

a usually gated construction, similar to a low dam, across a watercourse, esp one to increase the depth of water to assist navigation or irrigation

fencing a heat or series of bouts in a competition

verb

(tr) to attack or confront with a barragethe speaker was barraged with abuse

Word Origin for barrage

C19: from French, from barrer to obstruct; see bar 1

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

barrage

OTHER WORDS FOR barrage

Origin of barrage

Words nearby barrage

Words related to barrage

How to use barrage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for barrage

Word Origin for barrage