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herd 1 of 2

noun

ˈhərd How to pronounce herd (audio)
Definition of herdnext
1
as in flock
a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together the great herds of cattle that cowboys once drove across the plains

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2
as in populace
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite aspire to achieve something, to distinguish yourself from the herd

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in throng
a great number of persons or things massed together gearing up for the herd of holiday shoppers at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving

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herd

2 of 2

verb

as in to drive
to urge, push, or force onward the guards briskly herded us through the museum in order to prevent overcrowding

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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 herd
Noun
Instead, the government of Peru tightly restricts how fabric mills can acquire precious strands from the nation’s wild herds. — Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2026 But cattle ranchers later spoke out about the move, arguing the beef import plan would undercut their business and hamper their goal of rebuilding their shrinking cattle herds. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
Migrant workers were herded onto buses, boats and planes and sent to Mexico. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Deep within the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for herd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herd
  1. flock
  2. populace
  3. throng
  4. drive
  5. crowd
  6. swarm
  7. public
  8. horde
Noun
  • With several scenes showcasing flocks of pigeons, Mundruczó estimates that around 1,000 birds were used in the production — which filmed in Sydney, Australia and New York — with professional pigeon handlers present on set.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • After a few minutes, there was a dive off the arch, followed by a cannonball from the next person, a backflip from a third and then other more spectacular and daring stunts from the flock.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of flock
Noun
  • In this world, Joe is the smartest guy in the room, and Camacho promises the populace that Joe will solve all America’s problems in one week.
    — Donald Liebenson, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Russia is impossibly far from the victory Putin imagined in February 2022—controlling the country’s whole territory and populace.
    — MICHAEL KIMMAGE, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of populace
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
Verb
  • Maybe real New Yorkers do drive, because this is some serious New York behavior.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Yet the deepest human transformations operate on a different layer of architecture—driven by adaptive, systemic processes that our analytical minds can’t fully dictate.
    — Patrick Murphy, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • In January, Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted, leading officials at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park to warn visitors about heavy traffic, crowds and potential hazards.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The 35,000-strong crowd is happy to forgive Céline Dion for what becomes a 47-minute delay.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of crowd
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
Noun
  • It’s been just a few years since ChatGPT’s release to public in late 2022, democratizing access to chatbots with the ability to answer increasingly personal questions using language from the whole of the internet.
    — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026
  • When a self-serving gatekeeper in that position helps divide inventory between what the broad public can see and what only market insiders can see, the result is a less transparent and competitive market.
    — Tomas J. Philipson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of public
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

Phrases Containing herd

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herculean
herd
herded
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Cite this Entry

“Herd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herd. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on herd

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about herd

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