as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly
a dune buggy came recklessly cannonballing down the crowded beach
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Recent Examples of cannonball
Allison Duncan, WSJ, 29 July 2022
Go swimming in Copper Canyon where folks cannonball from the rocks, or spend a quiet day exploring the details of the shoreline.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 17 July 2021
David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
This group includes the moon jellies, sea nettles, cannonball jellies, and many others.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannonball
Verb
For anyone who’s so constrained but still longing to sip a cocktail while soaking on a pool step or to cannonball in after a long day, these little dippers can appeal.
—Allison Duncan, WSJ, 29 July 2022
Go swimming in Copper Canyon where folks cannonball from the rocks, or spend a quiet day exploring the details of the shoreline.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 17 July 2021
Noun
Kelly went next, frantically waving her arms before finishing in a cannonball.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
This group includes the moon jellies, sea nettles, cannonball jellies, and many others.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cannonball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannonball
Verb
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His arm was pinned into the back window of a car as a suspect sped away, dragging him across the pavement for about 100 yards, according to court documents.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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By speeding up the transit time of your stomach contents, fiber may reduce the amount of time that stomach acid can irritate your esophagus, Dilley added.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After raising his hands on the porch while turning away from police, one of the officers fired a less-lethal projectile that hit him in the head, requiring stitches.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Oc Register,
30 Dec. 2025
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More than five minutes after Ellis had collapsed, someone in the background could be heard ordering officers to fire a less-lethal projectile at him.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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In Altadena, employees with the small local water utilities raced across town protecting and fixing the water systems firefighters relied on.—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The budget of a movie about the White Helmets is less than the price of a missile that destroyed a bridge in Deir Ez-Zour.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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This means the missile can rely on smaller rocket boosters and transition more smoothly through different flight regimes.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The new system could replace the Stinger missile, which can engage low-flying aircraft such as helicopters, jets during takeoff or landing, and some drones.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
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With that possibility in mind, NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency, agreed to fly one NASA astronaut aboard each Soyuz and one Russian cosmonaut aboard each Crew Dragon.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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These durable, waterproof luggage sleeves fit squarely over your suitcase in order to protect its shell from scuffs, bumps, and scrapes, all while allowing the color of your luggage to show through.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Jan. 2026
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Their breakthrough centers on engineering a specialized shell around CoF₂ particles that can selectively allow beneficial ion transport while blocking harmful dissolution paths.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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First responders in Atlanta rushed to an airport runway Tuesday after an aircraft experienced a harrowing landing failure, with all eight of its landing tires bursting the moment the plane touched down, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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Lopez rushed her back to the emergency room, where an MRI revealed a diagnosis of transverse myelitis, a rare inflammatory disorder affecting the spinal cord.—
Leondra Head,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As in previous crackdowns, security forces have responded with riot police, tear gas, and live ammunition.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Brian Spikes-Hopkins, 42, was charged with murder and being a five-time felon in possession of a gun and ammunition.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cannonball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannonball. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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