horde

as in swarm
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a horde of mosquitoes hordes of tourists from the cruise ship crowded the shops and cafes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun horde differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of horde are crowd, crush, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

When is it sensible to use crowd instead of horde?

The synonyms crowd and horde are sometimes interchangeable, but crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When might crush be a better fit than horde?

The words crush and horde can be used in similar contexts, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When can mob be used instead of horde?

The meanings of mob and horde largely overlap; however, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

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 horde In the craze of the postgame field madness that comes with beating an NFC East rival for the first time in eight attempts, a horde of cameras had to decide which players to follow around in the madness. Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 That has been burning in the minds of both the growing horde that is the Logged-Off community, those whose algorithms never picked up on the artist, and millennials who recognize fewer artists on a festival lineup as the years march ever forward. Zoe Guy, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025 Try to squeeze in on a weekday when the hordes will be slightly diminished. Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025 What could be better than fighting off hordes of alien monstrosities? Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for horde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horde
Noun
  • As police swarm the plant, Batman disappears in a puff of smoke.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Its artwork, meanwhile, sees its author posing in a swarm of paparazzi and was recreated for the poster of Williams’ recent biopic, Better Man.
    Sophie Williams, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Atkinson and his family were walking from their downtown Columbus condo to a restaurant and noticed a throng of Blue Jackets fans camping outside Nationwide Arena to get a jump on tickets the following day.
    Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The event drew such a large crowd on Sunday that several Surf City residents complained on social media about a lack of security and noise control, as throngs of attendees poured onto the streets and blocked traffic.
    Claire Wang, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • His campaign already claims 6,000 volunteers and his town hall appearances have drawn large crowds.
    NPR, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Police say Balmer broke in through the southern wing of the residence, into a room often used to entertain crowds and display art.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There are accounts with millions of followers and a flock of smaller hobbyists, all posting near-interchangeable updates on what’s for sale.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • While preachers preached, D’Angelo learned ministry from the choir stand, leading the flock to epiphany one measure at a time.
    Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Wait for the looky-loo mob to subside.
    Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2025
  • This isn’t as ominous as, say, the GOP effort to steal the 2020 presidential election with absurd claims, bad lawyers and a mob attack on the Capitol.
    Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horde. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on horde

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!