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.
But she faced a barrage of criticism over her handling of the "mink crisis" in November 2020.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
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
Throughout the spring of 1850, Greeley’s Weekly Tribune published a barrage of letters about mediumship and spirit communications.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
