herds 1 of 2

Definition of herdsnext
plural of herd

herds

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of herd
as in drives
to urge, push, or force onward the guards briskly herded us through the museum in order to prevent overcrowding

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 herds
Noun
The alpine pastureland is home to herds of goats and cows and small families of shepherds who have worked the land for lifetimes. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 31 Jan. 2026 Success stories include the reintroduction of eastern black rhino and the return of large elephant and buffalo herds. Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026 And unlike elegant formations of soaring birds or massive herds of trekking antelope, these creatures make their annual journey via vast blue highways of the Pacific. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026 The group and its rancher members reason that by eating buffalo meat, consumers are helping maintain herds on North American grasslands while supporting regenerative agriculture. The Know, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026 The financial benefits of holding permits to graze herds on public lands extend beyond cattle sales. Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 12 Jan. 2026 Now the agency can establish a management plan for these wayward herds — one that hunters could potentially play a role in going forward. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 8 Jan. 2026 Imagine herds of guanacos, native llama-like creatures, grazing below dramatic peaks; flocks of flamingos swimming across lagoons; and not another traveler in sight. Jeaninne Sanz, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025 The finding sheds light on how the plague likely spread through close contact between people, livestock and wild animals as Bronze Age societies began keeping larger herds and traveling farther with horses. Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025
Verb
However, one quick look at what companies like Boston Dynamics has achieved with robots like the rather creepy dog-like ‘Spot,’ who herds sheep in New Zealand, and the possibilities seem endless. Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herds
Noun
  • However, in the meantime, those with flocks in their yards or at the commercial level are encouraged to take extra precautions to try and make sure their flocks cannot be contaminated.
    Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
  • In fact, some flocks overwinter as far north as Canada.
    Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Bodies were found throughout the building, some stacked on top of one another, with swarms of bugs and decomposition fluid covering the floors, investigators said.
    Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Bodies were found throughout the building, some stacked on top of each other, with swarms of bugs and decomposition fluid covering the floors, investigators said.
    Maria Braganini, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Unlike body composition metrics, BMI obscures the true extent of metabolic dysfunction and cannot distinguish between muscle and fat — or between superficial fat and the visceral fat that drives diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.
    Bret Scher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Some of what also drives Honnold is making the world a better place.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • More than twenty‑five thousand people crowded into Shibe Park, including throngs of young people who made the gathering feel more like a festival than a political convention.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Tuesday marks 40 years since throngs of Chicagoans braved subzero wind chills to welcome home the Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Located some 60 miles north of Los Angeles near the city of Lancaster, California, Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve draws crowds from mid-February through early May to marvel at this state park’s California poppies.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
  • This weekend, Super Bowl crowds are descending on San Francisco for the first time in ten years—and the timing couldn’t be more apt.
    Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Expect hordes of people on weekends during prime daytime hours, and likely a short to moderate wait around noon even on weekdays.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Each booth offered a brief refuge from the hordes moving steadily through the aisles.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • European publics are less diplomatic.
    Ivan Krastev, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
  • National and international publics relate directly to these leaders, who set the tone for international relations with their actions, their statements, and their preferences.
    MICHAEL KIMMAGE, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Instead of listening to reason, mobs of angry senior citizens around the country started to form into groups demanding justice.
    Tom Margenau, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Online mobs are just a click away, stirring the pot on X and Substack, even in the comments on breaking news.
    Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Herds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herds. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.

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