1
as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
people flocked to the annual festival in droves
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Recent Examples of droves
Customers continue to come in droves.
—
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Spring is a quieter time to visit the historic town of St Andrews, Scotland — a one-hour train ride from Edinburgh — missing the droves of tourists and golfers of summer and early fall.
—Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
There’s no denying that firms are laying off droves of employees, and there’s also no denying that many of them are openly enthusiastic about AI.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 4 Mar. 2026
Additionally, the city's new WNBA team, the Portland Fire, will kick off its first season in May, drawing droves of fans to The Sports Bra.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Feb. 2026
Of course, Warsh’s view on the economy is one of 12 voting voices (and droves of other economists and regional bank presidents) on the future of the base rate.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
But that Kalshi will be able to interest its droves of sports bettors in other markets is by no means guaranteed.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Sanders moved to Vermont, year-round and for good, in 1968, when droves of young people from all over the country headed for the hills.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
The hospitals remained open, hiring droves of temporary nurses to try to fill the labor gap.
—David R. Martin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Spring is a quieter time to visit the historic town of St Andrews, Scotland — a one-hour train ride from Edinburgh — missing the droves of tourists and golfers of summer and early fall.
—Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
There’s no denying that firms are laying off droves of employees, and there’s also no denying that many of them are openly enthusiastic about AI.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 4 Mar. 2026
Additionally, the city's new WNBA team, the Portland Fire, will kick off its first season in May, drawing droves of fans to The Sports Bra.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Feb. 2026
Of course, Warsh’s view on the economy is one of 12 voting voices (and droves of other economists and regional bank presidents) on the future of the base rate.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
But that Kalshi will be able to interest its droves of sports bettors in other markets is by no means guaranteed.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Sanders moved to Vermont, year-round and for good, in 1968, when droves of young people from all over the country headed for the hills.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
The hospitals remained open, hiring droves of temporary nurses to try to fill the labor gap.
—David R. Martin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for droves
Noun
-
Vast plazas are missing the typical throngs of faithful and tourists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Two small tents shaded those who got there earliest, leaving throngs of fans — the rest of us — to bake in the sun as security locked our phones in pouches.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Studt recommends heading over to one of Palm Beach County’s larger nature preserves, such as Cypress Creek Natural Area in Jupiter or Loxahatchee Slough in Palm Beach Gardens, to catch a glimpse of the spirited flocks.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Cliff swallows are highly social and travel in large flocks.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bee swarms are a natural process in which a large group of bees leaves an existing hive to start a new colony, according to Iowa State University.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Iran has wreaked havoc on military bases, tourist centers and data centers used by America’s largest tech giants with swarms of low-cost Shahed drones that cost between $20,000 and $50,000, according to public estimates.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Aside from royally pissing off hordes of fans (with an average attendance of 25,048 per game, MLB turnstile spins in ’95 were down 20% compared to the league’s pre-strike mark of 31,240), the strike also coincided with a series of media shakeups.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Some are good for taking out enemy hordes, while others focus on lower shields to do more damage.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Massive crowds — estimated to be in the thousands, according to organizers — gathered in Mill Creek Park and marched through the Country Club Plaza on Saturday afternoon in the third installment of the No Kings protests.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
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Photos highlight artist performances, fan reactions and standout moments from the Main Stage, Worldwide Stage, Megastructure, The Cove, Live Stage, UMF Radio and Oasis, with major sets from Steve Aoki, Hardwell, Carl Cox, Armin Van Buuren and others drawing some of the day’s biggest crowds.—
Miami Herald newsroom,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Droves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droves. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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