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

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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
And all the way to Georgia, solitude abounds, except during the few weeks that a SOBO passes through the migrating herd of NOBOs. — Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 In place of herds of bison thundering across the prairie, there were piles of bones a story high and as much as a hundred feet long. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
As crews worked on the ground, a hardworking white sheepdog sprang into action, herding a nearby group of goats away from the landing area and helping keep the helicopter's path clear. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Max tells him to put it down, releasing Zack in exchange, then picks up the gun himself, herds all four Bowdens into the kitchen, and makes Natalie bind her parents' wrists with plastic restraints. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 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
  • In Placer County, at least 12 of Lincoln’s flock cameras have been vandalized this year.
    — Haley Parsley August 22, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office identified a suspect’s vehicle, which was involved in a shooting Wednesday in Odessa, after the vehicle was flagged by a flock camera, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of flock
Noun
  • This is where the irrationality of antisemitic conspiracy gains no purchase among a reasoning and pragmatic populace; where government is led by people who grasp, and embrace, the seriousness of their responsibilities.
    — Rory Lancman, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Since the 1700s, Jamaica’s populace has been dominated by the descendants of African slaves.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of populace
Noun
  • Why then, are throngs of armchair analysts online pointing fingers at her ex-husband, Patrick, blaming him for the deaths?
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The new 47-key Orient Express Venezia is an experience, housed within Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in the oldest and northernmost Cannaregio district, drawing high-end travelers away from the throngs.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of throng
Verb
  • As such, this is meant to be a workhorse that's also enjoyable to drive.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The song has a driving bass line and would be interesting to perform with a live band.
    — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Hvar banned its circuit of thumping DJ parties in 2024 in an effort to rebrand itself, but August’s high tourist season in Hvar Town still draws heavy crowds.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
  • So too the buzz around the event last year and this, with first-round matches in 2025 attracting large and engrossed crowds.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of crowd
Noun
  • The growth of agentic AI and the rise of cyber hacks orchestrated by agents are forcing companies to invest in more tools to manage swarms of new identities.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This phrase is a complicated way of simply acknowledging the fact that Pluto sits within the Kuiper Belt, a vast swarm of bodies that go around the sun in similar orbits beyond Neptune.
    — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of swarm
Noun
  • Nor was there any attempt to explain the rationale for going to war to the American public.
    — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 23 Aug. 2026
  • With insane gas prices in places like California this year, a Volt, or something like it, appeals to a significant swath of the American green-car-buying public.
    — Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of public
Noun
  • Chino Hills State Park is almost never crowded, except during a spring super bloom, when the hillsides erupt in California poppies and hordes of would-be influencers arrive to take photos for Instagram.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Or what about storming the field, the tradition that follows a momentous win, when order dissolves and players brace themselves for a horde of fans pouring out of the stands.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 23 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on herd

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about herd

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