barrage
Americannoun
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Military. a heavy barrier of artillery fire to protect one's own advancing or retreating troops or to stop the advance of enemy troops.
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an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms.
a barrage of questions.
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Civil Engineering. an artificial obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of the water, facilitate irrigation, etc.
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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)
noun
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military the firing of artillery to saturate an area, either to protect against an attack or to support an advance
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an overwhelming and continuous delivery of something, as words, questions, or punches
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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
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fencing a heat or series of bouts in a competition
verb
Etymology
Origin of barrage
1855–60; < French: blocking, barring off, barrier, equivalent to barr ( er ) to bar 1 + -age -age; artillery sense by ellipsis from French tir de barrage barrier fire
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Whether or not the overnight moves would carry through to Thursday’s market open remained an open question, given the barrage of back-and-forth headlines that investors have been fielding recently.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
Iran retaliated with two attacks on a major gas hub in Qatar and a missile barrage fired at the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as the war entered a new phase.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
It comes amid efforts by companies and governments frequently targeted by lawsuits to rein in a barrage of litigation.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
"It depends if they're preparing for the end of the world or Armageddon or they're preparing just basically for a barrage of missile fires as mostly the Israelis have," Hubbard said.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
Before long an officer appeared before her and unleashed a barrage of sternly delivered questions.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
