broadside

Intermediate 🏛️ Government / Politics

Definition

A simultaneous volley of cannon fire from one side of a warship designed to obliterate enemies; by extension, any aggressive attack delivered all at once. Modern usage: a scathing written or verbal assault that hits you with everything at once.

Example Usage

The critic launched a broadside against the film's plot, dialogue, and cinematography in a single devastating review.

Source: Oxford English Dictionary; military and nautical terminology

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