Thesaurus results for HORDE

Q: How does the noun 'horde' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of horde are crowd , crush , mob , and throng . While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," throng and horde suggest movement and pushing. // a throng of reporters // a horde of shoppers

Q: When is it sensible to use 'crowd' instead of 'horde'?

The synonyms crowd and horde are sometimes interchangeable, but crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together. // a crowd gathered

Q: When might 'crush' be a better fit than 'horde'?

The words crush and horde can be used in similar contexts, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort. // a crush of fans

Q: When can 'mob' be used instead of 'horde'?

The meanings of mob and horde largely overlap; however, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence. // an angry mob

horde

noun

ˈhȯrd

Definition of horde

as in swarm

a great number of persons or creatures massed together a horde of mosquitoes hordes of tourists from the cruise ship crowded the shops and cafes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun horde differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of horde are crowd, crush, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters

a horde of shoppers

When is it sensible to use crowd instead of horde?

The synonyms crowd and horde are sometimes interchangeable, but crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When might crush be a better fit than horde?

The words crush and horde can be used in similar contexts, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When can mob be used instead of horde?

The meanings of mob and horde largely overlap; however, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

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 horde Video shows hordes of apparently military-aged men smiling and posing for cameras, some carrying swimming flippers, and sprinting through the streets as authorities struggle to corral the unruly masses. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 This is a real neighborhood with authentic shops and restaurants, removed from the hordes of tourists near the Duomo. — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 That year, the number of possible points had changed from two hundred to four hundred, and the newspapers reported that this test had slaughtered hordes of top students. — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026 One of the most intense sequences finds Lucas protecting a still-comatose Max while a horde of demodogs chases him through a hospital. — Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for horde

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horde

Noun

Nature evolved swarm intelligence in species like bees and fish.

— Big Think, Big Think, 6 Aug. 2026
The band quits when the director releases a swarm of bees onto the set (the original clip featured dogs), only to be replaced by look-alikes.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of swarm

Noun

The defendant and his legal team declined to speak with a throng of reporters outside the courthouse.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Right in the middle of cheering, reveling masses was MARTA — a connective system of veins that efficiently moved the happy throngs.

— Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of throng

Noun

While the violent mobs who hurled stones at marchers in 1966 are long gone, civil rights advocates say their demands remained strikingly familiar and that the threat to democracy has not disappeared.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Over the next dozen years, Pastore appeared in supporting or bit roles in several films and TV shows, including the Martin Scorsese mob classic Goodfellas and Robin Williams and Robert De Niro’s medical drama Awakenings, both in 1990.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of mob

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“Horde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horde. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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