1
as in to bomb
to use bombs or artillery against the Allies bombarded Germany for a great many months during World War II

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to barrage
to attack with a rapid or overwhelming outpouring of many things at once reporters bombarded the company spokesman with sharp questions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb bombard contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bombard are assail, assault, attack, and storm. While all these words mean "to make an onslaught upon," bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells.

bombarded the city nightly

When is assail a more appropriate choice than bombard?

While the synonyms assail and bombard are close in meaning, assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots.

assailed the enemy with artillery fire

When could assault be used to replace bombard?

While in some cases nearly identical to bombard, assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught.

commandos assaulted the building from all sides

When might attack be a better fit than bombard?

The words attack and bombard can be used in similar contexts, but attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle.

plan to attack the town at dawn

When can storm be used instead of bombard?

The meanings of storm and bombard largely overlap; however, storm implies attempting to break into a defended position.

preparing to storm the fortress

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bombard Click on an article, and you’re bombarded with pop-ups. Stackcommerce Team (sponsored), PCMAG, 11 Mar. 2025 Consumers are bombarded daily with advertisements, social media posts and promotions from businesses vying for their attention. Sneha Lundia, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025 Some lawmakers been bombarded with constituent phone calls and voters at town halls who are angry at the dramatic cuts to the federal government. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025 Janine and Gregory bombard O’Shon with suggestions for a first date with someone as high-maintenance as Ava. Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bombard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombard
Verb
  • Israel bombed Gaza in what was one of the deadliest single days since the war began.
    Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The movie bombed at the box office, grossing less than $40 million domestically.
    Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Just as often as not, what results from this impulse to lightly fictionalize a recent news story is an overly straightforward telling of the same facts we’ve been barraged with already.
    Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) tried to dismiss the controversy when he was barraged by television camera crews outside his office in the Dirksen Building on Tuesday morning.
    Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • By the way, it was attacked from the Pentagon and from the White House as being fake news that this was going to happen and Elon Musk denounced the leak.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2025
  • This was a departure from Mourinho and Conte, who both moaned about investment, attacked the club culture, exited unceremoniously, and bad-mouthed them afterward.
    Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • More than 400 Reddit users flooded the comments section of the post with admiration, calling the moment heartwarming and even offering to help the kittens out on their journey to being adopted.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Playboi Carti Scores 30 Hot 100 Hits at Once This week, Playboi Carti floods the Hot 100 with an incredible 30 tracks.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bombard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombard. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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