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

Relevance
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
Each day at the rescue begins before sunrise as volunteers prepare formula and feed the growing herd of young deer. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026 Keep your eyes peeled for the famous herd of Banker horses, thought to be descended from those that survived Spanish shipwrecks 500 years ago. — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 16 July 2026
Verb
Just after midnight, guests were herded into Grainger Sky Theater with the promise of a surprise. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 In a sense that’s true, as rather than continually being reinvested in Destiny, the profits were used for bizarre projects like a sprawling HQ in the COVID era, or herded into too many other incubation projects. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 June 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
  • That year, as Fredriksen explains, a flock of them took up residence in Palm Beach County’s Stormwater Treatment Area 2 (STA-2), some 80 miles north of their traditional grounds in the Keys and the southern edges of the Everglades.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 July 2026
  • In a 2024 paper, the researchers reported that doctors from the best medical schools flock to the highest-paying specialties.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of flock
Noun
  • Their past two victories against Switzerland and Egypt came with the help of controversial calls that had the soccer-watching populace buzzing about potential favoritism toward Argentina.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 14 July 2026
  • Trump’s decision to deploy these soldiers has thoroughly spooked a populace that already distrusts the president.
    — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of populace
Noun
  • That’s why Fox Sports frequently showed the throng of fans in KC celebrating during games.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
  • Given the throng of big names at Tuesday’s match, there should be no shortage of dignitary shots with Messi in town Wednesday.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of throng
Verb
  • The latest in Houston Salgado Araujo, 52, was driving to work with three other construction crew members when unmarked vehicles carrying federal agents began following his van, his family said.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • When Fumi takes a job at Rin’s clinic planning to expose its darker side, their standoff drives the series, with the story more interested in what pushes people toward transformation than in the surgeries themselves.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 July 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Tuesday’s game had a crowd at Sundance Square of a few hundred, with a strong mix between France and Spain fans.
    — Cal Phillips Updated July 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • The picture of Cardinals cool, Walker chased down Kyle Schwarber, shut up a rambunctious Philly crowd and introduced himself to a much wider baseball world.
    — Dan Gelston, AJC.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of crowd
Noun
  • Tehran has leaned on this asymmetric approach for decades, betting that a swarm of small, hard-to-detect boats can offset its lack of larger, more advanced submarines.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026
  • Less than two months later a swarm of earthquakes ripped along the ridge.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 8 July 2026
Definition of swarm
Noun
  • Mark Cavendish sprinted to five stage victories, while the French public had something to celebrate about with six stage victories.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • The two had earned more than $650 million through stock sales since taking the company public and bought two private luxury jets, according to the lawsuit and securities filings.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
Definition of public
Noun
  • The Trojans unquestioningly bring the horse, apparently a religious offering, within their city walls, only for a handful of Greek troops hidden inside, led by Odysseus, to open the gates, letting in a horde of warriors who lay waste to Troy.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • In videos obtained by Reuters, hordes of people can be seen scattering as the bulls approached them from behind.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 July 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 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on herd

Nglish: Translation of herd for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about herd

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