a simultaneous or successive discharge of artillery, bombs, etc.
a round of fire given as a salute.
a round of cheers or applause.
an excuse or quibbling evasion.
something to save a person's reputation or soothe a person's feelings.
a discharge of fire from weapons in unison, esp on a ceremonial occasion
concentrated fire from many weapons, as in a naval battle
an outburst, as of applause
an excuse or evasion
an expedient to save a reputation or soothe hurt feelings
(in legal documents) a saving clause; reservation
1585–95; earlier salva < Italian ≪ Latin salvē salve 3
1635–45; < Latin salvō, ablative of salvus safe, found in legal phrases
A salvo is when troops fire their guns all at the same time. A salvo of shots might signal the beginning of a military battle. Another word for the gunfire kind of salvo is a "volley." Military planners have used salvos as a way to overwhelm an opposing army, including during engagements between battleships and tanks. You can also use salvo in a more figurative way, describing a verbal barrage or attack: "Her direct, almost rude questions were seen as the opening salvo in the battle between the two political candidates."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another drone salvo hit the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's terminal near the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk -- a key export route for Kazakh oil, partly owned by Chevron and Shell.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
But it was the sight of loosehead prop Ox Nche stampeding through Ollie Chessum and Jamie George, with the England defence desperately, vainly backpedalling, that summed up a brutally chastening opening salvo.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
While a $44 million pre-seed funding round for one Chinese start-up may seem like a sudden windfall, it is actually the latest salvo in a tightening global race.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Few shows are quite as ripely pubescent as this adaptation of the very popular “Every Summer After,” the debut of author Carley Fortune and the opening salvo in her “Barry’s Bay” series of romance novels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
He concluded with an Adams salvo against “the peevish and fretful effusions of politicians,” then signed off as “J.A. In the 89 year of his age still too fat to last much longer.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
But as the price of his satellite service increased, De Salvo cut the cord in 2021 and declined to follow the team to its new TV home on a competing pay channel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
He has respect from his peers too with Germany boss Antonio di Salvo, a former Bayern Munich forward, recognising the job Carsley has done.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2025
The CEO’s office granted “special leave” that would spare employees like De Salvo from losing pay late last week, records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2025
The last time that Donna De Salvo, a senior adjunct curator at Dia, worked with McQueen, in 2016, she was chief curator at the Whitney Museum, where they showed “End Credits.”
From New York Times ● May 10, 2024
The inquisitor at that time was evidently a personage of influence, for Frà Salvo in fact was also confessor of the viceroy.
From A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages; volume II by Lea, Henry Charles
With the official status of talks between Washington and Tehran uncertain and ahead of a meeting in Pakistan on Monday with key regional players, daily salvoes of strikes across the region have continued unabated.
From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 2026
Aware of the threat, Mr Ramaphosa fired salvoes at his predecessor, without naming him.
From BBC ● May 26, 2024
The tone of the early salvoes dismayed Noura Bittar Søborg, a Syrian asylum seeker who fled Homs in 2011 and has managed to bring her father, mother and younger sister to Denmark.
From The Guardian ● May 30, 2015
Artillery salvoes were fired from an area that Nalyvaichenko said is under the control of a Cossack unit manned by Russian citizens.
From US News ● Feb. 15, 2015
On landing at the head of his troops, Don John was greeted with flourishes of music, while salvoes of artillery thundered from the fortresses which commanded the city.
From History of The Reign of Philip The Second King of Spain Volume The Third and Biographical & Critical Miscellanies by Prescott, William Hickling
We are already seeing the first salvos of this escalated warfare.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
The first salvos in a drone attack help to identify the location of Russian air-defense systems, allowing the Ukrainians to determine where other unmanned aerial vehicles can find a way through, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
"Within days, however, Iran had shifted to smaller, more precisely targeted salvos, conserving remaining missiles and drones for specific high-value targets and concentrating fire where even near-misses cause significant damage."
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
Even as Iran fires regular salvos at the base, AFP did not see any signs of a heavy security presence there.
From Barron's ● Apr. 6, 2026
Every day, the first minutes of class would be filled by harsh salvos of criticism aimed at Mr. Loring’s round, assailable figure leaning against his lectern.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
