barnstorm

verb

barn·storm | \ ˈbärn-ˌstȯrm

barnstormed; barnstorming; barnstorms

Definition of barnstorm

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

Other Words from barnstorm Example Sentences Learn More about barnstorm

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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

The Basketeers were a barnstorming group of middle-school kids from College Corner who traveled to high school and college games in both states, putting on ballhandling exhibitions patterned after the Harlem Globetrotters. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: One high school gym, two states, and the midcourt stripe has a secret," 3 July 2019 The objective of Kramer’s barnstorming tour was to bring the country-club sport to the masses -- and, the participants hoped, spark support for the game’s professionalization. — oregonlive.com, "‘Gorgeous Gussie’ Moran shocked Wimbledon 70 years ago, the first of many shocks that upended her life," 28 June 2019 Across the country, far-left progressives and democratic socialists suffered decisive electoral defeats in Tuesday's primaries, despite high-profile barnstorming efforts by left-leaning leaders like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. — Gregg Re, Fox News, "Socialist torchbearers flame out in key races, despite blitz by Bernie Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez," 8 Aug. 2018 Bush attempted to barnstorm the country in support of privatization, but that only drew more attention to an embarrassing and unpopular situation. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "The time Nancy Pelosi saved Social Security," 21 Nov. 2018 Reporting season is under way in the U.S. and analysts expect another barnstorming set of results, but many also think such good news is already reflected in stock prices. — Joseph Wallace, WSJ, "Investors Haven’t Been This Concerned About Growth Since Early 2016," 17 July 2018 Putnam, a former congressman, has run a more traditional campaign for governor, barnstorming the state with campaign events aimed at building upon his family's deep ties to the state. — Samuel Chamberlain, Fox News, "Trump calls for voter ID, teases Iran talks at Florida rally boosting DeSantis, Scott," 2 Oct. 2018 The president has barnstormed the nation this fall, holding multiple rallies a week, mindful that his future will be shaped by Election Day. — Ken Thomas, The Seattle Times, "WHAT TO WATCH: After turbulent campaign, it’s up to voters," 7 Nov. 2018 Like McCarthy, Scalise has been barnstorming the country raising money for lawmakers, chits that could be quite valuable if there is an opening to lead the conference. — Fox News Staff, Fox News, "The GOP battle for the speakership intensifies," 7 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barnstorm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.