Thesaurus results for DROVES

droves

noun

plural of drove

as in throngs

a great number of persons or creatures massed together people flocked to the annual festival in droves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in flocks

a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together a drove of cattle

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 droves The Hilary Shoulder Bag is from JW Pei, the brand that Oprah, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, Anne Hathaway, and droves of other A-listers adore. — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 5 Sep. 2026 But outside the station is the Arc, an otherworldly light that draws droves of physicists—like her ex-husband, Eli—to study its effects. — Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026 Expect droves to gather from Titusville to Cocoa Beach for a chance to view the launch. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026 When the news broke, Phillips said, droves of Dollyologists reached out to her to share in the grief. — Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026 Their fledgling relationship has provided a bright spot for droves of fans around the globe who are mourning the death of Shadow's longtime partner, Jackie, following a mysterious illness earlier this month. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 The combined success of these blockbusters — not to mention the droves of smaller-scale films doing their part — has helped vault the domestic box office back to numbers many prognosticators thought were ancient history. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Aug. 2026 The bust, however, began as soon as the early 1880s and droves of residents began to leave. — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026 Video from The Associated Press showed protesters gathering together to push over the tall yellow barricades and sometimes climbing atop them as droves of Delhi Police stood guard in riot gear. — Connor Greene, Time, 22 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for droves

Noun

The cows made their way to the altar — with the handlers helping to guide them with hay — through throngs of people and a few mascots sitting in seats and lined up on the streets, who stopped by just to see the unique occasion.

— Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
The rooms proved to be catnip for selfie-seekers and a financial boon to museums and galleries, which could dependably rely on them to draw throngs of visitors eager to line up for a chance at a few seconds alone in one of them.

— News Desk, Artforum, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of throngs

Noun

And then there are the animals The regulations say domestic or other animals kept in groups such as packs, herds, litters, bevies or flocks larger than three are prohibited, unless the Village approves otherwise by resolution.

— Luisa Yanez Updated September 3, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Editor’s pick More picks A rare bird draws flocks of Southern California birders to this Irvine marsh to get a glimpse.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of flocks

Noun

Adversaries may soon be able to fly drones in coordinated swarms using AI, effectively overwhelming any defenses.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Nightly swarms of drones closed Russian airports, struck oil refineries or set ablaze the warehouses of retail giants Wildberries and Ozon.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of swarms

Noun

Each year, hordes of celebrities — including A-list musicians — flock to The Met in New York City to walk the red carpet in avant-garde outfits inspired by the Costume Institute’s spring theme.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2026
Chino Hills State Park is almost never crowded, except during a spring super bloom, when the hillsides erupt in California poppies and hordes of would-be influencers arrive to take photos for Instagram.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of hordes

Noun

As federal agents increasingly used chemical irritants on crowds, Michael Cavlan began spending less time patrolling and more time treating people who’d been hurt.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
As usual, the Alley Art Festival on Saturday drew crowds who browsed at dozens of tents featuring oil paintings, sculptures, sketches, jewelry, pottery and other artwork along Water Street Mall and Downer Place.

— Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of crowds

Browse Nearby Words

drovers

droves

drown

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Droves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droves. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of droves

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gist

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes