1
as in battalions
a large body of men and women organized for land warfare
In 218 b.c., Hannibal crossed the Alps with an army of 26,000 men and, most famously, a number of elephants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in swarms
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
a vast army of loyal fans in line for the band's farewell concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in teams
a group of people working together on a task
an army of rescue workers descended on the tornado-stricken town
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 armies
On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin’s armies seized Chornobyl in the opening throes of their invasion of Ukraine.
—
Benjamin MacK-Jackson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Only a professional military can repel one of the world’s most powerful armies.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
The marks, which are sandwiched between towers once used to scout for armies and to allow archers and other artillery-throwers to fend off enemy incursions, are arrayed in a way that suggests they may have been left by a repeating dart-thrower called a polybolos.
—Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
And that was to inspire, raise, and command armies of European Christians, including kings, commoners and peasants, to invade the Holy Land and free it from Muslim occupation.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Widely adopted by European and American armies (including both sides in the American Civil War) during the 19th century, it was gradually phased out in favor of military tunics and relegated to cavalry units.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 13 Apr. 2026
In this island, or this Ireland, in 1986, there were a good number of armies.
—Colm Tóibín, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
The promise of automating out the drudgery of work and home by hacking together armies of agents feels so tantalizingly close, yet just out of reach.
—Sumeet Vaidya, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Several popes have even personally led armies into battle, the most recent being Pope Julius II (1503-1513).
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
Benjamin MacK-Jackson, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Only a professional military can repel one of the world’s most powerful armies.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
The marks, which are sandwiched between towers once used to scout for armies and to allow archers and other artillery-throwers to fend off enemy incursions, are arrayed in a way that suggests they may have been left by a repeating dart-thrower called a polybolos.
—Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
And that was to inspire, raise, and command armies of European Christians, including kings, commoners and peasants, to invade the Holy Land and free it from Muslim occupation.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
Widely adopted by European and American armies (including both sides in the American Civil War) during the 19th century, it was gradually phased out in favor of military tunics and relegated to cavalry units.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 13 Apr. 2026
In this island, or this Ireland, in 1986, there were a good number of armies.
—Colm Tóibín, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
The promise of automating out the drudgery of work and home by hacking together armies of agents feels so tantalizingly close, yet just out of reach.
—Sumeet Vaidya, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Several popes have even personally led armies into battle, the most recent being Pope Julius II (1503-1513).
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for armies
Noun
-
In the letter read out to lawmakers of the Central African country on Monday, Chadian President Mahamat Déby Itno said two battalions of 750 troops each will be deployed from this month for one year, following a request by the United Nations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Rather, our liberties would be saved by the ragtag battalions of night people doing their tireless work, unpaid, unheralded, and largely unseen.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Russian officials have not identified the source of the drones, but Russia’s defense ministry has ascribed other drone swarms in the Arkhangelsk region to Ukraine.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
-
Anything that disrupts the water’s surface tension — or removes it altogether — can spare your backyard from swarms.—
Ryan Brennan
April 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Sox have had an impressive series, winning the first two against one of the top teams in the National League.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
Schleifer and the Stallions boys and girls tennis teams concluded the season by sweeping the 2A state championships at Red Bug Lake Park in Casselberry near Orlando.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Our neighbors were Blacks and Puerto Ricans, working-class Irish and Italians, and some Jews who hadn’t yet moved on, plus the legions of us new immigrants, from Asia and Eastern Europe and the Caribbean, who’d ended up in this commuter town north of New York City.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Welcome to the world of Gobby, who’s consistently put out some of the strangest music of the legions of beatmakers turned solo auteurs that emerged from the blog-rap era.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
When the mountain park opens for the season, their businesses attract hordes of mountain bikers.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Oldham knew the Beatles played primarily to hordes of screaming girls.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Rays were also at the forefront of other innovations and/or adjustments, such as defensive shifts, lineup platoons, matchup bullpens, star-quality super-utility players and putting a numbers nerd (technically a process and analytics coach) in the dugout.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Outfield requires far more starting spots, and most of those available later in drafts are locked in platoons.—
Dalton Del Don,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tiki, brought home by our troops, is a uniquely American style of decadence.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Under the War Power Act, a president must receive congressional approval by day 60 of a war or begin removing troops.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The plane lands, surrounded by throngs of people, and out steps Hitler, followed by his posse, including Joseph Goebbels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There certainly seem to be apparitions in this music, some presence apart from the four musicians and the throngs of fans, which is intensified by the visceral collision of so many sounds.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Armies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/armies. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
