can·non·ade
ˌka-nə-ˈnād 
1
: a heavy fire of artillery
2
: an attack (as with words) likened to artillery fire : bombardment
The president's decision was attacked with a cannonade of criticism.
cannonaded; cannonading
: to attack with or as if with artillery
: to deliver artillery fire
Examples of cannonade in a Sentence
Noun
The French directed a cannonade at the British for three hours.
the director of the sporting event was greeted at the scene with a cannonade of complaints
Verb
the artillery cannonaded the enemy encampment all night
Recent Examples on the Web
Samya Kullab and Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Artillery cannonade from both sides is heard around the clock.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023
Fireworks shook the rafters like an incoming cannonade.
—Kate Bachelder Odell, WSJ, 13 Dec. 2022
The conclusion of your letter makes my heart throb more than a cannonade.
—CBS News, 9 Aug. 2022
In general, however, the report was a cap-gun ending to an inquiry whose backers hinted would turn up a cannonade of fraud.
—BostonGlobe.com, 24 Sep. 2021
Watson’s cannonade of wonders and statistics sometimes proceeds in almost carnival mood, leading to arbitrary indulgences.
—Colin Thubron, The New York Review of Books, 17 Nov. 2020
Since his first day on the job, President Trump has signed a cannonade of executive orders and memoranda targeting policies impacting the environment, health care, infrastructure & more.
—Kevin Corke, Fox News, 14 July 2017
Joseph Tartakovsky, WSJ, 2 July 2018
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Noun
The sound of the cannonade continued without any break.
—Samya Kullab and Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Artillery cannonade from both sides is heard around the clock.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023
Fireworks shook the rafters like an incoming cannonade.
—Kate Bachelder Odell, WSJ, 13 Dec. 2022
The conclusion of your letter makes my heart throb more than a cannonade.
—CBS News, 9 Aug. 2022
In general, however, the report was a cap-gun ending to an inquiry whose backers hinted would turn up a cannonade of fraud.
—BostonGlobe.com, 24 Sep. 2021
Watson’s cannonade of wonders and statistics sometimes proceeds in almost carnival mood, leading to arbitrary indulgences.
—Colin Thubron, The New York Review of Books, 17 Nov. 2020
Since his first day on the job, President Trump has signed a cannonade of executive orders and memoranda targeting policies impacting the environment, health care, infrastructure & more.
—Kevin Corke, Fox News, 14 July 2017
Verb
But Americans chose to cannonade each other with pamphlets, not artillery.
—Joseph Tartakovsky, WSJ, 2 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Cannonade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cannonade. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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