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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
The Caroline Bezengi is loaded with close to 1 million barrels of Russian oil bound for Asia and first reported difficulties on June 8 off Yemen, with two maritime security sources saying initial assessments indicated a blast had occurred onboard. — Reuters, NBC news, 10 Aug. 2026 Incident reports show there was also a burn barrel which smelled of decomposition. — Nikki Battiste, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
The grizzly bear had just busted over the low ridge at 40 yards, and was barreling right at me. — Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026 Each episode barrels forward with the logic of a live-action cartoon, hijacking the visual language of everything from My Dinner With Andre to Dog Day Afternoon, while cramming in references to pop culture, video games, and Canadian esoterica. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 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
  • With a length of almost 1,100 feet and displacing more than 100,000 tons, Nimitz-class carriers are among the world’s largest warships, eclipsed only by the US Navy’s Ford-class carriers, of which only one is in service to date.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In practical terms, for every ton of CO₂ captured and permanently stored, approximately 40–150 kilograms of CO₂ could still be generated elsewhere in the process chain.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of ton
Noun
  • Store in an airtight container or tin or wrapped in parchment paper and then aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 5 days.
    — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Her daughter-in-law, Kimber Renz, salvaged a muffin tin from the rubble.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of tin
Noun
  • Then, an eighth pipe was slotted into the small organ, bringing with it a new sound that reverberated throughout the church.
    — Stefanie Dazio, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The new whisky expands its maturation from three to five distinct cask types, including Fino sherry and Port pipes, subtly reshaping Glenfiddich's signature fruit-forward profile by adding dryness and complexity.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of pipe
Verb
  • With France experiencing its driest year ever, a new fire raced through woodlands overnight in the Landes region on the southwest coast.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • On Wednesday afternoon, Alejandro Eder, the mayor of Cali, told reporters that rescue teams continue to find signs of people alive under the rubble and are racing to save them.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of race
Noun
  • The type of helicopter that crashed can carry heavy loads and is commonly used in firefighting operations, with the ability to carry a more than 2,000-gallon tank.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
  • When temperatures exceed 110°F, passenger planes must consider lightening their loads.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of loads
Noun
  • My only goals were to find a way to have enough money to eat, have somewhere to sleep, and play the drums.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In 2002, drum tech John Douglas subbed in for Beard when the drummer underwent an emergency appendectomy.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of drum
Verb
  • Eun-sae, who has heard Tae-ha speaking Korean, speeds up on her motorbike to whisk Tae-ha away from danger.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • That could speed assistance but might reduce how much and how often FEMA helps.
    — Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of speed
Noun
  • More than a dozen people were affected when a multi-family complex in Denver caught fire on Wednesday.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Brokerages price crypto like an asset class, a few dozen basis points and falling.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dozen

Browse Nearby Words

barred
barrel
barreled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barrel. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on barrel

Nglish: Translation of barrel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barrel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All