barnstorm

verb

barn·​storm ˈbärn-ˌstȯrm 

barnstormed; barnstorming; barnstorms

intransitive verb

1

: to tour through rural districts staging usually theatrical performances

2

: to travel from place to place making brief stops (as in a political campaign or a promotional tour)

3

: to pilot one's airplane in sightseeing flights with passengers or in exhibition stunts in an unscheduled course especially in rural districts

transitive verb

: to travel across while barnstorming

barnstormer noun

Examples of barnstorm in a Sentence

He spent the months leading up to the election barnstorming around the country.

The national soccer team barnstormed through the country.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hilton, a former Fox News host, spent much of the summer barnstorming the state and keeping up a steady stream of media appearances. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Sand ran unopposed in the primary and spent the past year barnstorming the state, including making a 100-stop campaign trip. — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

As Tuesday’s election barrels toward them, Becerra and Hilton traded barbs and barnstormed California in a relatively sedate race to succeed Democrat Gavin Newsom, who is wrapping up his final term as governor and considering a run for president. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

The days and weeks leading up to the election have seen the president barnstorming through red states, a sign of concern with the base's enthusiasm. — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for barnstorm

• brainstorm
• conform
• deform
• firestorm
• hailstorm
• inform
• landform
• lukewarm
• perform
• planform
• platform
• preform

Kids Definition

barnstorm

verb

barn·​storm ˈbärn-ˌstȯrm 

: to travel through the country making brief stops to entertain (as with shows or flying stunts) or to campaign for political office

barnstormer noun