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
Jurassic Park is a classic, full of great performances, endlessly quotable lines, and all those dinosaurs moving in herds. Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026 First, if the petition is approved, ranchers would be required to use nonlethal methods to ward off wolves from their herds after a depredation occurs. Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026 Together, their herds of horses, cows and sheep number in the thousands. Magdalena Stawkowski, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026 Bovine tuberculosis, a bacterial disease impact all mammals, was detected in two cattle herds in two northern Michigan counties, state officials said on Monday. Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026 On the Base — the area above the sheer cliffs that encircle Tristan and below Queen Mary’s Peak — a group herds sheep down from the mountain. NPR, 4 Apr. 2026 Wolves exert strong influence on the caribou herds, especially young caribou. Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026 Horses, donkeys, camels, and herds and flocks of other livestock die from the pestilence. Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 The lack of rain has forced them to cut back on cattle herds or sell out altogether. Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
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
  • The gradual drop-off in prices is due to a declining number of bird flu cases following a major outbreak in commercial flocks and egg-laying hens last winter.
    Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Larger birds and flocks, however, can be another story.
    Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The book was completed months before Anthropic’s redlines generated new interest in autonomous-drone swarms and killer robots, but even then the writing was on the wall.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The power of drone swarms on battlefields has been witnessed in multiple wars to date.
    Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The trading push comes as the Middle East war disrupts commodity flows and drives up costs across global supply chains.
    Lee Ying Shan,Emily Tan, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Scientists know that dark energy is an all-pervasive something that drives the universe’s accelerating expansion.
    Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Last Saturday, in Grapevine, Texas, Pahlavi spoke to throngs of his supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
    Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Vast plazas are missing the typical throngs of faithful and tourists.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Thousands of runners are taking part in the 2026 Jersey City Marathon and Half Marathon today, which means there are street closures and crowds throughout the area.
    Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Many families enjoy visiting during summer vacation, but late spring and early fall are a good time to go for less expensive lodging and fewer crowds.
    Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-​skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-​skinned developing world.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
  • In the postseason, the dynamic is more like a pro league, with open locker rooms, one-on-one opportunities and hordes of reporters.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 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
  • So, how to make the most of a visit without getting bogged down in mobs of tour groups and Instagrammers jostling for the iconic shot?
    Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026
  • After dinner, ranchers show off the abilities of their Border collies to muster mobs of sheep.
    New York Times, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Herds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herds. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.

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