plural volleys
1
a(1)
: the flight of the ball (as in volleyball or tennis) or its course before striking the ground
also
: a return of the ball before it touches the ground
(2)
: a kick of the ball in soccer before it rebounds
(3)
: the exchange of the shuttlecock in badminton following the serve
b
: a flight of missiles (such as arrows)
c
: simultaneous discharge of a number of missile weapons
d
: one round per gun in a battery fired as soon as a gun is ready without regard to order
2
a
: a burst or emission of many things or a large amount at once
received a volley of angry letters
b
: a burst of simultaneous or immediately sequential nerve impulses passing to an end organ, synapse, or center
volleyed; volleying
1
: to propel (an object) while in the air and before touching the ground
especially
: to hit (a tennis ball) on the volley
2
: to discharge in or as if in a volley
1
: to make a volley
specifically
: to volley an object of play (as in tennis)
2
: to become discharged in or as if in a volley
volleyer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of volley in a Sentence
Noun
The tank was hit by a volley of bullets.
She was overwhelmed by a volley of questions from the press.
Verb
She volleyed the shot over the net.
Recent Examples on the Web
James Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
The volley of digital ads paints Valadao as corrupt and responsible for the rising costs of housing and health care.
—Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024
After a series of short, quick passes, Suárez lofted a ball into the box that Messi volleyed into the corner.
—Johannes Sasay-Wada, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for volley 
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Noun
Maintained in this state of wild vexation by volleys of planetary radiation—
what if a genie replaced your phone
with the club of somebody’s tibia bone?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
The volley of digital ads paints Valadao as corrupt and responsible for the rising costs of housing and health care.
—Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
There’s a lot of back and forth between Mendez and Yancy, with Mendez threatening and gloating and Yancy volleying everything back to him sharply.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024
After a series of short, quick passes, Suárez lofted a ball into the box that Messi volleyed into the corner.
—Johannes Sasay-Wada, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for volley
Dictionary Entries Near volley
Cite this Entry
“Volley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volley. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
volley
1 of 2 noun
vol·ley
ˈväl-ē 
plural volleys
1
: a group of missiles (as arrows or bullets) passing through the air
2
: a firing of a number of weapons (as rifles) at the same time
3
: a bursting forth of many things at once
a volley of praise
4
: the act of volleying
volley
2 of 2 verb
volleyed; volleying
1
: to shoot in a volley
2
: to hit an object (as a ball) while it is in the air before it touches the ground
Medical Definition
volley
noun
vol·ley
ˈväl-ē
plural volleys
: a burst of simultaneous or immediately sequential nerve impulses passing to an end organ, synapse, or center
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