crowd 1 of 2

Definition of crowdnext
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as in throng
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a huge crowd of fans was on hand to greet the returning World Series champions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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1
as in to stuff
to fit (people or things) into a tight space crowded all the boats into the harbor before the storm struck

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to flock
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers cars crowded the roads over the long holiday weekend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun crowd differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of crowd are crush, horde, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

Where would crush be a reasonable alternative to crowd?

The words crush and crowd are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When might mob be a better fit than crowd?

While in some cases nearly identical to crowd, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

How do throng and horde relate to one another, in the sense of crowd?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

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 crowd
Noun
Hence the kaleidoscopic rave the couple threw for a crowd that ranged from nine-year-old nephews to silver-haired patrons. — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026 In the years since, the San Bernardino County venue has attracted crowds by booking high-caliber acts like the Smashing Pumpkins, Mariah Carey, the Killers, Ed Sheeran and more. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
Ah, the quaint days of 2004, when millions of people would crowd into theaters to watch a documentary about geopolitical incompetence. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 Trump won at least 60 percent of the vote in the past two presidential elections in Haskin's district, and local media mogul Jim Schwartzel won a tight and crowded Republican primary in August with almost 30 percent of the vote. — Maham Javaid, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crowd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crowd
Noun
  • As for the happy throng of guests, the dress code was wide open to interpretation, from paillettes to pink marabou.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Outside, a throng of revelers were waiting to navigate the same journey as Williams, McRae, and their respective entourages.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The Sun enters your 11th House, beginning a month focused on friends, communities, collaborations, networks, and your longer-term hopes.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Ahead of the game’s thirtieth anniversary, Blond sat down with Variety to reminisce about that first audition, the role Lara continues to play in her life and the impact of AI on the voice acting community.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Despite Jack’s best efforts to bring Christmas cheer to the world, his gifts horrify the populace.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The decision was ultimately reversed by a New York Supreme Court judge, on the grounds that Warren violated the populace’s religious liberties.
    — Clare Whitton, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Some folks wiped down groceries before stuffing them into the refrigerator.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Yes, cabins are getting stuffed with more seats, and those seats are getting smaller, while crew staffing keeps getting cut.
    — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Kabuki Theater in San Francisco was the documentary’s top gross, which stands to reason as tech heads flocked to the film.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2026
  • From shredding the slopes in the winter to floating on the water in the summer, the unofficial capital of the Sierra Nevada sees outdoorsy travelers constantly flocking to its campsites and cabins.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Not far from Stark, a woman huddled on the ground, shielded from the floodwaters by the temporary barrier.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Eric Bieniemy had the entire offense huddled up after that drive.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Together, the systems covered reconnaissance, swarm defense and control, and precision response capabilities.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • My recent Hartford Courant oped, described how OpenAI agents broke out of their test sandbox and as a coordinated group (swarm) penetrated Hugging Face, a research platform used by AI developers.
    — John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Halo’s deep problems won’t be fixed overnight, and throwing a bunch of hard-working developers to the curb certainly won’t help.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The 35-year-old model shared a bunch of photos on Instagram, leading with a mirror selfie in a plunging black one-piece swimsuit featuring a dramatic neckline and high-cut sides.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Crowd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crowd. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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