Synonyms of bombard

bombard

verb

bäm-ˈbärd 

1

as in to bomb

to use bombs or artillery against

the Allies bombarded Germany for a great many months during World War II

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bomb
• attack
• shell
• batter
• blitz
• blitzkrieg
• ravage
• cannonade
• assault
• assail
• hit
• strafe
• pound
• rake
• devastate
• enfilade
• strike

2

as in to barrage

to attack with a rapid or overwhelming outpouring of many things at once

reporters bombarded the company spokesman with sharp questions

Synonyms & Similar Words

• barrage
• flood
• bomb
• interrogate
• question
• examine
• harass
• inundate
• annoy
• pester
• pump
• quiz
• grill
• query
• cross-examine
• debrief
• hound
• catechize

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bombard contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bombard are assail, assault, attack, and storm. While all these words mean "to make an onslaught upon," bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells.

bombarded the city nightly

When is assail a more appropriate choice than bombard?

While the synonyms assail and bombard are close in meaning, assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots.

assailed the enemy with artillery fire

When could assault be used to replace bombard?

While in some cases nearly identical to bombard, assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught.

commandos assaulted the building from all sides

When might attack be a better fit than bombard?

The words attack and bombard can be used in similar contexts, but attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle.

plan to attack the town at dawn

When can storm be used instead of bombard?

The meanings of storm and bombard largely overlap; however, storm implies attempting to break into a defended position.

preparing to storm the fortress

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bombard

Why not just bombard the Olympics commercial breaks with Wicked trailers? —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025

The likelihood is that your HNWI customers are time-poor people bombarded with hundreds of requests every day. —Matteo Atti, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

The system reportedly relies on a particle accelerator to bombard molten lithium salt with high-energy particles, generating neutrons that, in turn, trigger reactions to produce tritium. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025

Kyiv, Ukraine — Kyiv was bombarded overnight by Russia’s second-biggest aerial attack since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with at least 21 people killed, including four children, according to officials. —Svitlana Vlasova, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!