stampede

1 of 2

noun

stam·​pede (ˌ)stam-ˈpēd 

1

: a wild headlong rush or flight of frightened animals

2

: a mass movement of people at a common impulse

3

: an extended festival combining a rodeo with exhibitions, contests, and social events

stampede

2 of 2

verb

stampeded; stampeding

transitive verb

1

: to cause to run away in headlong panic

2

: to cause (a group or mass of people) to act on sudden or rash impulse

intransitive verb

1

: to flee headlong in panic

2

: to act on mass impulse

stampeder noun

Examples of stampede in a Sentence

Noun

a stampede to the exits

a stampede to buy the stock

a stampede of new applicants

Verb

People stampeded to the exits.

The gunshot stampeded the cattle.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After organizers closed the doors and stopped letting attendees in, people outside broke the gymnasium’s doors and rushed the lobby, causing a stampede. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2023

At the first stop Jordin meets Liam (Hollingsworth), a fellow reveler in full Kris Kringle gear, but they quickly get separated by a Santa stampede before exchanging names or numbers. —Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 5 Nov. 2023

Gunfire erupts at Halloween celebration Video posted online shows people in Halloween costumes drinking and talking on the street when shots ring out, creating a stampede. —CBS News, 29 Oct. 2023

At least 120 people were killed and some 100 were injured in a stampede in central Seoul when thousands crowded into narrow streets to celebrate Halloween. —TIME, 26 Oct. 2023

Each level includes a wonder flower, a new mechanic that sends Mario on something like a psychedelic trip, reconfiguring the world around him — warp pipes start crawling like caterpillars, rhinos begin a stampede and some mountains gain a set of googly eyes. —Zachary Small, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023

That unease was on display Monday night at the University of Florida, where a candlelight vigil for Israel ended in a confused stampede. —Laura Meckler, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2023

Eight people were shot and two were trampled when a gunfight involving multiple patrons erupted early Sunday inside a Wichita, Kansas, nightclub, sparking a chaotic stampede for the exit door, according to police. —Victoria Arancio, ABC News, 2 July 2023

Before the stampede of tweens rounded the track, Coach Matthew Moore explained the goals of Monday’s practice. —Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2023

Verb

Hundreds of rap music fans stampeded after they were shut out of a celebrity basketball game. —Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2023

By this point, the customers are practically stampeding back to their seats, and they’re riveted as Darby begins to read from the book. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023

That audience seems unlikely to stampede Brainstorm Media’s limited theatrical release on Friday, as this is exactly the sort of comfort-food fare one expects to stream at home — an option arriving November 10th. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 18 Oct. 2023

Featuring a choir and orchestral arrangements, the album draws from classic Americana imagery such as freight trains, buffalo stampedes and highway cars. —Alice Nguyen, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023

The Buffaloes stampeding out of town eliminated one nightmare scenario for SDSU, which was the 10 remaining Pac-12 schools sticking together and then voting against expansion. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2023

View Photos Top speed may be the Diablo's big claim to fame, but this bull is most at home stampeding the twisties. —Frank Markus, Car and Driver, 1 Aug. 2023

The town goes all out for a five-day celebration: there’s bull riding, stampede rodeos, an arts festival, and of course, fireworks. —Scott Bay, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 July 2023

News leaked Wednesday that the Buffaloes are planning to stampede right on back to their Big Eight/Big 12 roots. —J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

American Spanish estampida, from Spanish, crash, from estampar to stamp, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stampfōn to stamp

First Known Use

Noun

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1838, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

stampede

1 of 2 noun

stam·​pede stam-ˈpēd 

1

: a wild rush or flight of frightened animals

2

: a sudden movement of a crowd of people

stampede

2 of 2 verb

stampeded; stampeding

1

: to run away or cause (as cattle) to run away in panic

2

: to act together or cause to act together suddenly and without thought

Etymology

Noun

from a word in the Spanish of Mexico and the American Southwest, estampida "stampede," from Spanish estampida "a crash, loud noise," from estamper "to pound, stamp"