throng 1 of 2

throng

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verb

as in to flock
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers fans thronged the field to celebrate the win

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun throng differ from other similar words?

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

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

When might crowd be a better fit than throng?

While in some cases nearly identical to throng, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When can crush be used instead of throng?

The synonyms crush and throng are sometimes interchangeable, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

Where would mob be a reasonable alternative to throng?

The words mob and throng are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Examples of throng in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Near the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, throngs of pro-Palestinian protesters called for an end to the war and a halt of military aid to Israel. Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2024 Outside, throngs of fans clamored for a glimpse of Elvis’ daughter, the closest thing to American royalty. Brianne Tracy, Peoplemag, 25 Sep. 2024
Verb
And in Burkina Faso, following the successful military coup in January, supporters of the new regime thronged the streets of the country’s capital waving Russian flags. Stephen Smith, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2022 Veep creator Armando Iannucci was among those who saw the images of counter-protesters thronging British streets and thrust the images under the nose of Elon Musk. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for throng 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'throng.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near throng

Cite this Entry

“Throng.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throng. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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