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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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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
His herd is driven deeper and deeper into surrounding Palestinian communities. — Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026 Like so much in our fractious public discourse these days, the Inland Empire’s mysterious wild donkey herds are sparking fierce, sometimes scary debate. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
In a remote Somali pastoral village, two twelve-year-old boys, Waasuge and Warmooge, spend their days herding goats and playing. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026 Playwright Kira Rockwell was inspired by online videos of eager people herded outside fast-food restaurants to get a year of free sandwiches. — Joshua Cole, CBS News, 9 Sep. 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
  • Large outbreaks force farms to cull their flocks to prevent the spread of the disease, diminishing the domestic supply of chickens and raising prices.
    — Joe Hernandez, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In September 2025, bird flu was found at turkey farms in Le Sueur, Blue Earth and Stearns counties, weeks after the state's first detection since April in a Redwood County flock.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of flock
Noun
  • Despite Jack’s best efforts to bring Christmas cheer to the world, his gifts horrify the populace.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The decision was ultimately reversed by a New York Supreme Court judge, on the grounds that Warren violated the populace’s religious liberties.
    — Clare Whitton, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of populace
Noun
  • As for the happy throng of guests, the dress code was wide open to interpretation, from paillettes to pink marabou.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Outside, a throng of revelers were waiting to navigate the same journey as Williams, McRae, and their respective entourages.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of throng
Verb
  • Zuckerberg and Wang want Muse Wonder and the more powerful Muse Wonder Full to drive Muse, Meta’s personal AI agent, which can act on people’s behalf.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • To help banish the endless procrastination, National Geographic’s 2027 list of 25 must-visit destinations for the year ahead is one of its most timely and experience-driven recommendations yet.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Nugent has been in police custody since shortly after Haines was injured and a crowd of bystanders subdued him.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Suspect to face court on Wednesday Nugent has been in police custody since shortly after Haines was injured and a crowd of bystanders subdued him.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of crowd
Noun
  • Together, the systems covered reconnaissance, swarm defense and control, and precision response capabilities.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • My recent Hartford Courant oped, described how OpenAI agents broke out of their test sandbox and as a coordinated group (swarm) penetrated Hugging Face, a research platform used by AI developers.
    — John Caruso, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of swarm
Noun
  • Human rights lawyer Rosy Auguste Ducena, who advocates for the rights of victims of violence, says the Haitian public is fed up with the slow pace of change.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Caltrans said the deck replacement is necessary to preserve the structural integrity of the bridge and improve safety for maintenance workers, truck drivers and the traveling public.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of public
Noun
  • In July, a horde of OpenAI agents broke out of their sandboxes and worked together to launch a cyberattack on the AI company Hugging Face.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 20 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 horde

Phrases Containing herd

Browse Nearby Words

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 25 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on herd

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about herd

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