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

Two Deserving Teams, Only One Winner With all due respect to the New York Knicks, who've barnstormed their way to the Eastern Conference Finals, the two best teams in the NBA this year might both be in the West. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026

During the annual presentation held this year at the Javitz Center in Manhattan, the barnstorming baseball team was followed by Anne Hathaway, star of Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2, to introduce new CEO Josh D’Amaro. —Peter White, Deadline, 12 May 2026

Segregation prevented that, so instead, Neuman joined the Texas Cowgirls barnstorming team. —Eden Laase, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026

State of the Union addresses often serve as springboards for presidents to barnstorm the country and drive home their visions. —Zac Anderson, USA Today, 24 Feb. 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