barrel 1 of 2

noun

ˈber-əl How to pronounce barrel (audio)
Definition of barrelnext
1
as in ton
a considerable amount a visit to an amusement park should be a barrel of laughs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tin
a metal container in the shape of a cylinder a trash barrel

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3
as in pipe
an enclosed wooden vessel for holding beverages barrels of fine wine aging in the winery's cellar

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barrel

2 of 2

verb

as in to race
to proceed or move quickly faced with a firm deadline, we barreled through the project at a furious pace

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Example 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 barrel
Noun
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 Master distiller Owen Martin selected rye whiskeys aged between eight and 11 years, and finished some of them for 15 to 23 months in peach brandy barrels, and some of which for six to 12 months in toasted oak. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2026
Verb
And when an opportunity presented itself to try them, Lloyd barreled ahead. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026 Hurricane Belle was barreling toward New England in August 1976 when an editor from Foreign Affairs called. — Daniel Cohan, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barrel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barrel
  1. ton
  2. tin
  3. pipe
  4. race
  5. loads
  6. drum
  7. speed
  8. dozen
Noun
  • The Marlins will listen to trade inquiries on some of their starting position players, but a team would need to offer a ton to convince the front office to move any of them.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Supermarkets in a number of European countries reported this week that their fridges and freezers warmed up after they were remotely taken over, resulting in tons of spoiled food at a total cost of millions of dollars (euros).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of ton
Noun
  • In the morning, our breakfasts were put through the hole in the door, in small oblong-square tin pans, made to fit, and holding a pint of chocolate, with brown bread, and an iron spoon.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • These come in a simple tin vessel that goes well with any type of home decor.
    — Kara McGrath, Allure, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of tin
Noun
  • In Newport Beach, the city operates 86 tidal valves that sit at the end of storm drain pipes along Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Doussard says Zeltman and other experts who had warned the water might remain discolored due to old iron pipes were wrong.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of pipe
Verb
  • While robot dogs feel like old news now, setting them the challenge of racing up more than 3,000 uneven stone steps on the side of a mountain is more than just to show off what machines with legs can do.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The researchers notified the PHP Foundation, which released patches to fix the bugs—but companies still must race to update their websites before any hackers break into them.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of race
Noun
  • Cranes lift 200-ton loads at mountain bridge site The R4300-200 has a maximum lifting capacity of 200 metric tons (220 US tons) and an 80-meter jib (262 feet).
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Its remaining civil rights workers have described untenable case loads and pressure to dismiss complaints.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of loads
Noun
  • Dub’s classic elements are present in the bass and drum groove, the offbeat accents and the play of echo, but McDoom balances them carefully against her sonorous voice.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • When the track properly kicks in, the guitar strums, drums, and vocals are all present and well-balanced, with no element outshining another.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of drum
Verb
  • In total, the model can screen more than 40,000 compounds a day, which has the potential to dramatically speed up drug discovery.
    — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The company said the new money will go toward hiring engineers and salespeople as well as speeding up product development.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of speed
Noun
  • Before the family landed in Florida, Lula, who turned 81 on Tuesday, spoke to dozens of supporters outside the presidential residence in Brasilia.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The first plan, which would have cut up to 18 English learner teachers and affected at least two dozen schools, drew backlash.
    — Beret Leone, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of dozen

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Cite this Entry

“Barrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barrel. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on barrel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barrel

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