droves

noun

plural of drove
1
as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together people flocked to the annual festival in droves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
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 But the bold irreverence that drew droves of devoted readers to Jezebel brought contention, too. — Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 After posting a picture on a random rock in the Turkish highlands on Instagram, Salah has transformed the spot into a tourist attraction, with droves of fans making the pilgrimage. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Earlier this summer, Google’s Debug program made headlines by applying to the EPA for permits to release droves of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes across California and Florida. — New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026 The two films, directed by 20-something-year-olds who came from YouTube, exploded all box-office expectations while ushering in droves of Gen Z audiences back to cinemas. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026 These major metropolitan areas have strong housing markets, with droves of wealthier buyers keeping housing supplies in those areas low. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026 Feathers and florals came in droves with this latest collection, appearing on everything from boudoir-style dresses and wraps to red-carpet-ready pieces like the one Miller wore on Tuesday night in New York City. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026 When promoter Live Nation couldn’t keep up with the droves of ticketbuyers, a second show on Sunday was added. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026 Voters are abandoning the CDU –– the mainstream conservative party of Angela Merkel and Konrad Adenauer –– in their droves in favour of the fringes, most notably the far-right, pro-Russia and anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD). — Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for droves
  1. throngs
  2. flocks
  3. swarms
  4. hordes
  5. crowds
Noun
  • Salem is a vibrant, thriving, bustling city, attracting throngs of tourists in the autumn.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Guests of the hotel have a special opportunity to visit the villa privately, away from the throngs of tourists that visit from near and far.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of throngs
Noun
  • Local and state health officials have detected bird flu in two backyard poultry flocks in Sacramento County in October, the county’s public health office said Thursday, urging residents who own chickens or other poultry to take precautions.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • As soon as Michelle walks in the room, everybody flocks to her.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of flocks
Noun
  • The government has a longstanding program to breed sterile male flies and drop swarms of them from planes to mate with wild females, causing the flies to die out.
    — Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In the early eighteenth century, the village of Gais started attracting swarms of visitors, many from abroad, who wanted to sample Gaisschottenkur, a treatment featuring goat’s whey.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of swarms
Noun
  • Speaking to hordes of mostly young fans at his Masterclass and later at a press conference and multiple one-on-one interviews, the indefatigable filmmaker reflected on the current state of affairs in the world.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The report describes aggressive tactics in which hordes of solicitors sit on the phones all day, calling people to get them to refinance.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of hordes
Noun
  • In his view, the peaceful crowds that greeted Machado on Sunday undermined arguments that her return would necessarily provoke unrest.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Following Jonas’s post, crowds at Whiskey Myers concerts have skewed younger.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of crowds

Browse Nearby Words

drovers
droves
drown
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Cite this Entry

“Droves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droves. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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