plural volleys
1
a(1)
: the flight of the ball (as in volleyball or tennis) or its course before striking the ground
also
: a return of the ball before it touches the ground
(2)
: a kick of the ball in soccer before it rebounds
(3)
: the exchange of the shuttlecock in badminton following the serve
b
: a flight of missiles (such as arrows)
c
: simultaneous discharge of a number of missile weapons
d
: one round per gun in a battery fired as soon as a gun is ready without regard to order
2
a
: a burst or emission of many things or a large amount at once
received a volley of angry letters
b
: a burst of simultaneous or immediately sequential nerve impulses passing to an end organ, synapse, or center
volleyed; volleying
1
: to propel (an object) while in the air and before touching the ground
especially
: to hit (a tennis ball) on the volley
2
: to discharge in or as if in a volley
1
: to make a volley
specifically
: to volley an object of play (as in tennis)
2
: to become discharged in or as if in a volley
volleyer
noun
Examples of volley in a Sentence
Noun
The tank was hit by a volley of bullets.
She was overwhelmed by a volley of questions from the press.
Verb
She volleyed the shot over the net.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
From economic downturns and socio-political grief to health issues and personal losses, life throws a volley of challenges our way.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2025
On the winning point, Fils served and volleyed and appeared to finish the point on his second shot, but Medvedev lunged to his right and somehow swatted a ball back over the net.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for volley
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Noun
Then there were the drop shots, the drive volleys, the tricky, left-handed slice serve.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
From economic downturns and socio-political grief to health issues and personal losses, life throws a volley of challenges our way.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
The answer — as pointed jokes at the president’s expense volleyed across the historic room, now a front line of the culture war — was an unequivocal yes.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2025
On the winning point, Fils served and volleyed and appeared to finish the point on his second shot, but Medvedev lunged to his right and somehow swatted a ball back over the net.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for volley
Cite this Entry
“Volley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volley. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
volley
1 of 2 noun
vol·ley
ˈväl-ē 
plural volleys
1
: a group of missiles (as arrows or bullets) passing through the air
2
: a firing of a number of weapons (as rifles) at the same time
3
: a bursting forth of many things at once
a volley of praise
4
: the act of volleying
volley
2 of 2 verb
volleyed; volleying
1
: to shoot in a volley
2
: to hit an object (as a ball) while it is in the air before it touches the ground
Medical Definition
volley
noun
vol·ley
ˈväl-ē
plural volleys
: a burst of simultaneous or immediately sequential nerve impulses passing to an end organ, synapse, or center
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