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
Oil prices are not immediately going to plummet to $60 per barrel as a result of this deal, nor are gasoline prices at the pump going to fall to levels seen prior to March 1 next week. — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 According to Goldman Sachs, total exports of crude and oil products from the region have risen to 15 million-16 million barrels a day. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
Still, the trade war has compounded GOP concerns that the party is barreling toward November with a political weight on its back that could endanger Republicans’ prospects of holding on to their narrow majorities in the House and Senate. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026 Included will be work made under Soviet rule of the 1960s and ’70s as well as that made by the collectives that sprang up in the ’80s as the country barreled toward independence. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 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
  • One of the rentable rooms is the bank vault, which still has its six-ton door and reinforced concrete walls.
    — Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Last year, the Swiss village of Blatten was completely buried after a glacier collapsed, sending millions of tons of ice and rock down mountainside.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ton
Noun
  • In stories centered on objects ranging from a button to a tin soldier, young authors recognize the it-narrative’s potential not only for amusement but for showcasing the power of the small and marginal.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The morning following the storm, co-owner James Durawa told WISN 12 News that a tree pierced part of the restaurant's tin roof and would cost about $18,000 to remove.
    — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of tin
Noun
  • Aguas de La Habana, the state utilities company in the capital, issues daily updates to clients on service interruptions caused by electricity cuts or burst pipes.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The project is expected to start sending water into city pipes as soon as early 2029.
    — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of pipe
Verb
  • Dustin Arnold, were racing as fast as 120 mph in order to get to the scene.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In the span of less than a week this July, surgeons at a Southern California hospital raced to save the lives of two women suffering from alarmingly similar brain hemorrhages.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of race
Noun
  • Instead, Hongqi said the solar roof could help supply lower-voltage electrical loads, including air conditioning, refrigerators and the vehicle’s sentry or monitoring systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Together, Jaybush, Brad Chambers, and the American Heavy Moving team figured out a route through the city that avoided street trees, tight turns, and roads that run above old, fragile sewer pipes, which aren’t rated for heavy loads.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of loads
Noun
  • Support for Infantino Eto’o is not the only person banging the drum for Infantino in what’s become an increasingly fractured landscape.
    — Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The work depicts a Black Civil War soldier standing beside a tall drum and was created to mark the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of drum
Verb
  • Officers said Rodriguez sped out of the lot and fled the scene.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The next day, his rebuild group met, and one of the architects brought up prefabricated housing as an option to speed things along.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of speed
Noun
  • There were dozens of officers and police vehicles seen in the area, along with ambulances.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Smalltown daughter of a farmer and homemaker who cared for a dozen children in a cabin without electricity.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 26 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on barrel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barrel

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