cannonball

1 of 2

noun

can·​non·​ball ˈka-nən-ˌbȯl How to pronounce cannonball (audio)
1
: a usually round solid missile made for firing from a cannon
2
: a jump into water made with the arms holding the knees tight against the chest
3
: a hard flat tennis service
4
: an express train

cannonball

2 of 2

verb

cannonballed; cannonballing; cannonballs

intransitive verb

: to travel with great speed

Examples of cannonball in a Sentence

Verb a dune buggy came recklessly cannonballing down the crowded beach
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Chachi Valencia, whose stage name is The Rocketman Valencia, was performing his death-defying human cannonball act at the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival in Indio when a strong gust of wind blew him off course on March 2. Julia Bonavita, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025 The first human cannonball in history is believed to have been 17-year-old Rossa Matilda Richter, who launched at the Royal Aquarium in London in 1877 under the name Zazel. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
No offense to George Clooney, Michael B. Jordan, Patrick Dempsey or even the latest selection John Krasinski, but Jack Black would cannonball those dudes out of the water. Rachel McRady, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025 Ari Daniel Shapiro: Franklin would leap from the aircraft and just cannonball through the air. IEEE Spectrum, 1 June 2012 See All Example Sentences for cannonball

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cannonball was in 1606

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cannonball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cannonball. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

cannonball

noun
can·​non·​ball
ˈkan-ən-ˌbȯl
: a usually round solid missile for firing from a cannon
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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