1
a
: a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere
b
: a colony of honeybees settled in a hive
2
a
: a large number of animate or inanimate things massed together and usually in motion : throng
swarms of sightseers
a swarm of locusts
a swarm of meteors
b
: a number of similar geologic features or phenomena close together in space or time
a swarm of dikes
an earthquake swarm
swarmed; swarming; swarms
1
: to form and depart from a hive in a swarm
2
a
: to move or assemble in a crowd : throng
b
: to hover about in the manner of a bee in a swarm
3
: to contain a swarm : teem
swarming with bugs
1
: to fill with a swarm
2
: to beset or surround in a swarm
players swarming the quarterback
swarmer
noun
Examples of swarm in a Sentence
Noun
a swarm of tourists descends upon the island every summer
Verb (1)
meeting little resistance, the pirates swarmed the decks of the merchant ship
at this time of year that Mexican resort swarms with college students on spring break
Verb (2)
one of the physical challenges had competitors swarming over a pile of logs
Recent Examples on the Web
Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
If a task can be performed in more than one way by equal peers working together—much in the way an ant colony or swarm of bees works—then the system is resistant to censorship and hardware faults and has service continuity due to economic sustainability.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 10 July 2025
Now, the bulldozer is coming for the fortress-like Shops at Sunset Place, 5701 Sunset Dr., which in its heyday had a giant Virgin music store that drew celebrity visits, hordes of IMAX moviegoers, and customers swarming the stores day and night.
—Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for swarm
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Noun
The floor is peppered with spare knee pads and helmets, and a swarm of roller derby players outfitted in protective armor congregate in the center of the warehouse.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
If a task can be performed in more than one way by equal peers working together—much in the way an ant colony or swarm of bees works—then the system is resistant to censorship and hardware faults and has service continuity due to economic sustainability.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
Spectators swarmed in from around the country to see the legendary lawyers battle over creationism, evolution and the role of religion in government.
—Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 10 July 2025
Now, the bulldozer is coming for the fortress-like Shops at Sunset Place, 5701 Sunset Dr., which in its heyday had a giant Virgin music store that drew celebrity visits, hordes of IMAX moviegoers, and customers swarming the stores day and night.
—Miami Herald, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for swarm
Cite this Entry
“Swarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swarm. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swarm
1 of 2 noun1
: a great number of honeybees leaving together from a hive with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere
also
: a colony of honeybees settled in a hive
2
: a large number grouped together and usually in motion
swarms of sightseers
a swarm of meteors
swarm
2 of 2 verb1
: to form and leave a hive in a swarm
2
: to move or gather in a swarm : throng
spectators swarmed into the stadium
3
: to contain or fill with a swarm
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