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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of armies
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
Ever since Hogan blazed the trail with his success against Gawker, ordinary Americans have increasingly turned to third-party funders, who typically front the costs of a lawsuit in exchange for a share of any recovery, for help taking on billion-dollar corporations with armies of lawyers.
—George Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
The two-year-old company is among a number of startups trying to build robot armies with the Pentagon.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 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
Of these three exceptions, the only one that still applies is to the children of diplomats, as there are no invading armies, and Native Americans were granted automatic citizenship in 1924.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Khaki thereafter served as the official color for uniforms of British armies, native and colonial, in India.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Ever since Hogan blazed the trail with his success against Gawker, ordinary Americans have increasingly turned to third-party funders, who typically front the costs of a lawsuit in exchange for a share of any recovery, for help taking on billion-dollar corporations with armies of lawyers.
—George Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
The two-year-old company is among a number of startups trying to build robot armies with the Pentagon.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 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
Of these three exceptions, the only one that still applies is to the children of diplomats, as there are no invading armies, and Native Americans were granted automatic citizenship in 1924.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Khaki thereafter served as the official color for uniforms of British armies, native and colonial, in India.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for armies
Noun
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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
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Meanwhile, historical epics reimagine Ming dynasty battalions fighting fantastical monsters, using special effects and visuals in ways that traditional production might find prohibitively expensive.—
Faye Bradley,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The book was completed months before Anthropic’s redlines generated new interest in autonomous-drone swarms and killer robots, but even then the writing was on the wall.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
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The power of drone swarms on battlefields has been witnessed in multiple wars to date.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The teams square off Monday for the fourth time this season.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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For many years, the top pick was determined by a coin flip between the worst teams in the Western and Eastern Conferences.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On your way from Pacific to Cuba, join legions of other Route 66 travelers who have stopped at Meramec Caverns, the state’s largest commercial cave and a reputed Jesse James hideout.—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
12 Apr. 2026
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Now legions of bright-eyed radical youths were exiled to the countryside to learn from the peasants.—
Michael Sheridan,
Vanity Fair,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
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In the postseason, the dynamic is more like a pro league, with open locker rooms, one-on-one opportunities and hordes of reporters.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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This is a very powerful operation; our troops are operating along the front lines and at depth.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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The PathMaster capability ensures that supply lines remain open and that troops can maneuver effectively, which directly impacts mission success.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The race draws massive crowds into the city, and there are several events as throngs of people visit the city on Marathon Monday.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
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This is a popular sunset spot, so expect throngs of other tourists (but don't worry, seeing the spectacle with fellow travelers can actually be quite fun).—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Armies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/armies. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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