1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

flock 1 of 2

noun

ˈfläk How to pronounce flock (audio)
Definition of flocknext
1
as in throng
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a flock of obstreperous reporters at the press conference

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in swarm
a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together a flock of sheep crossing the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

flock

2 of 2

verb

as in to crowd
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers vacationers flocked to the towns along the shore in order to escape the August heat

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 flock
Noun
This decision comes as a major surprise, as Meghan frequently shared content of the flock on her Instagram and even showed them off during her and Harry’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 8 Sep. 2026 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
Verb
Large crowds flocked to Oslo for the funeral, and thousands stood behind barriers on streets lined with national flags. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 Jihadis are not flocking to battle Israel or the United States, and the former Syrian jihadis sitting in Damascus seem to prefer attracting foreign investment to fighting infidel powers. — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flock
  1. throng
  2. swarm
  3. crowd
  4. horde
  5. herd
  6. invade
  7. mob
Noun
  • With her high heels, bright smile, and entourage of millennial assistants and executives, Terekh stands out in her factory, where throngs of middle-aged men lug drone parts, wield power tools and chain-smoke cigarettes.
    — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Over the past few days, the people at the front of the lines have gradually moved closer and closer to the courtroom, to the point where the doors can barely open without bumping into a throng of people.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of throng
Noun
  • There has been a string of alarming incidents in which swarms of rogue AI agents have hacked online platforms such as Hugging Face and surreptitiously communicated with one another on message boards.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
  • After realizing a swarm of AI agents broke out of testing and hacked rival companies, OpenAI paused AI training for new models and promised to strengthen its cyber defenses.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of swarm
Verb
  • It was crowded with guests like Schrader, Chloë Sevigny, and Alessandro Nivola spilling out into the restaurant, drinking and reminiscing quite loudly about their work with Killer over the years.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Wilson used amoeba looks with seven players crowding the line of scrimmage before some dropped into coverage on two third downs.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of crowd
Noun
  • By then, hordes of evacuees from the North Tower were walking north on Sixth Avenue to escape the terror.
    — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In 1935, Rubin Stacy, a Black farmworker, was lynched as a horde of white onlookers stood by.
    — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of horde
Noun
  • In one clip, Lilibet rides her bicycle while a herd of deer run in the background.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Therefore, scrapes without a licking branch aren’t repeatedly visited and re-used by the local deer herd.
    — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of herd
Verb
  • There is perhaps a subtle critique here, of the predatory instincts of the filmmaker towards their subject, of the desire to invade someone else’s life and shape their reality according to your own will.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
  • After Allied forces invaded Normandy, the cover of this magazine was mocked up in Bayeux-style stitching.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of invade
Verb
  • From despair to salvation and then back again, the picture at the end of Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United was of flailing limbs, both on the touchline, as players mobbed late, late equaliser-scorer Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and in the stands.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Hallford Stadium glowed red as Tucker players and coaches mobbed each other.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of mob

Browse Nearby Words

floaty
flock
flocked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flock. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on flock

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flock

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All