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

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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

Examples 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 While they are constantly bombarded by ads on the radio at the restaurant, no one from the Donald Trump or Kamala Harris campaign has reached out to ask for her vote, Tapia told me. Farah Stockman, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024 City officials were bombarded by hoax bomb threats and death threats, forcing some schools and municipal buildings to temporarily shut down. Dell Cameron, WIRED, 23 Oct. 2024 Today, we’re bombarded with survey requests via email, text, online pop-ups, and phone calls from unknown numbers. Camille Mumford, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024 Today’s youth are bombarded with a constant stream of toxic information about their bodies. Essence, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bombard 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombard
Verb
  • On May 8, 2023, shortly before dawn, Jordanian fighter jets bombed Ramthan’s family house.
    Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Tim Lammers For example, the recent Warner Bros. Joker sequel—Joker: Folie à Deux—opened in theaters on October 4 but after bombing with moviegoers pivoted to PVOD 25 days later, on October 29.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Stretch, toss, turn, or sit up, and the alarm clock will barrage you with coin pickup sound effects from Super Mario Odyssey, or splat sounds from Splatoon 3.
    WIRED, WIRED, 9 Oct. 2024
  • These scientists are losing funding, watching their research centers close down, and getting barraged with subpoenas.
    F.D. Flam, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Videos later emerged showing the friends physically attacking Robinson, but the FBI never charged anyone or made any arrests in the case.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Ukraine has allegedly repeatedly attacked this air base with drones, including as recently as mid-September.
    William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The intrigue: Big donors are flooding Pennsylvania with cash, and much of the attention is on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey's fight to keep his seat.
    Alexa Mencia, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Since May, Liccardo and Low have duked it out on the campaign trail as millions of dollars flooded the race despite it not being one of California’s key battleground races.
    Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Bombard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombard. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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