as in barrages
a rapid or overwhelming outpouring of many things at once
surprised by the volley of complaints about cable service in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 volleys
Iran and Israel, which stopped attacking each other in early April, resumed their volleys of fire, putting the entire diplomatic process at risk.
—
Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
Williams, who at one point served a 113 mph ace, was fierce on the court, attacking Routliffe and Melichar-Martinez with strong volleys — and looking to be enjoying every single minute of the hour-plus long match.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
From stunning volleys and bicycle kicks to long-range screamers, Ibrahimović was one of the most complete strikers of the ball.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
The Idaho Statesman’s recent top stories span Idaho Power’s bid to build two new natural gas plants, a Boise State fan’s decision to drop serious cash on a chunk of the famous blue turf and Boise Mayor Lauren McLean’s verbal volleys at the Legislature in her State of the City speech.
—Chadd Cripe. Produced With Ai Assistance, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2026
Trooper, which sells a 75-item box equipped with water pouches, meal bars, and a hand-crank radio, designed to sustain a family of four for 72 hours, built its kits after the 2024 floods but has found an altogether different audience since the missile and drone volleys started, AGBI reported.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Israel struck the South Pars gas field last Wednesday, and Iran retaliated with its own volleys on the world’s largest LNG facility, in Qatar, alongside other Gulf energy assets.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Iran has responded with volleys of missile and drone strikes against targets across the Middle East, including energy infrastructure.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
The defenses have been largely effective at blocking most Iranian missile and drone volleys.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
Williams, who at one point served a 113 mph ace, was fierce on the court, attacking Routliffe and Melichar-Martinez with strong volleys — and looking to be enjoying every single minute of the hour-plus long match.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
From stunning volleys and bicycle kicks to long-range screamers, Ibrahimović was one of the most complete strikers of the ball.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
The Idaho Statesman’s recent top stories span Idaho Power’s bid to build two new natural gas plants, a Boise State fan’s decision to drop serious cash on a chunk of the famous blue turf and Boise Mayor Lauren McLean’s verbal volleys at the Legislature in her State of the City speech.
—Chadd Cripe. Produced With Ai Assistance, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2026
Trooper, which sells a 75-item box equipped with water pouches, meal bars, and a hand-crank radio, designed to sustain a family of four for 72 hours, built its kits after the 2024 floods but has found an altogether different audience since the missile and drone volleys started, AGBI reported.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Israel struck the South Pars gas field last Wednesday, and Iran retaliated with its own volleys on the world’s largest LNG facility, in Qatar, alongside other Gulf energy assets.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Iran has responded with volleys of missile and drone strikes against targets across the Middle East, including energy infrastructure.
—Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
The defenses have been largely effective at blocking most Iranian missile and drone volleys.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for volleys
Noun
-
Russia answered with overnight drone barrages on Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa, while Kyiv touts fresh pledges of air defense systems and near-expiry interceptor missiles from unnamed partners.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
The strikes came a day after Russian forces launched a massive drone and missile attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least 22 civilians and wounding 138, as Moscow followed through with its threat of escalating its regular barrages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The players rotated quickly, setting flurries of picks and cutting, creating space by driving to the basket, stretching the defense to the point of breaking, and then flinging the ball to the open man in the corner.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
-
The checkup came amid mounting scrutiny of the president's health, particularly given recent flurries of late-night social media posts, as well as his at-times tired demeanor during official meetings.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Volleys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volleys. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
