as in throngs
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
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Recent Examples of hordes
This time it was set in a fantasy world where the player controls an elf whose race is fighting off hordes of otherworldly monsters.
—
Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
After walking the red carpet, Elordi and Isaac gamely stopped for selfies and autographs with the hordes of fans outside the theater.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Even in places like Nazaré and Amarante, far away from the hordes of tourists at bigger cities like Lisbon and Porto, locals were accommodating in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
—Josh Rivera, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
In one stunning shot, two hordes of warriors on rival sides of a conflict are seen from afar, like two waves crashing into each other.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 Aug. 2025
Transporting the action to Japan’s postwar economic boom, Kurosawa examined class differences in the country, and while Lee uses the text to comment on the haves and have-nots too, his focus is trained on the 21st century attention economy dictated by the social media hordes.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
The floor and foundation were falling apart, inviting hordes of mice and fleas.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
The shooting broke out during a sideshow, typically an incident in which hordes of people descend on roads to watch vehicle stunts, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Irish actress Nicola Coughlan, known to hordes of Bridgerton fans as Penelope Featherington/Lady Whistledown and as Clare Devlin to Derry Girls enthusiasts, will be honored at this year’s French TV festival Canneseries with the annual Konbini Commitment Award.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
After walking the red carpet, Elordi and Isaac gamely stopped for selfies and autographs with the hordes of fans outside the theater.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Even in places like Nazaré and Amarante, far away from the hordes of tourists at bigger cities like Lisbon and Porto, locals were accommodating in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
—Josh Rivera, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
In one stunning shot, two hordes of warriors on rival sides of a conflict are seen from afar, like two waves crashing into each other.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 Aug. 2025
Transporting the action to Japan’s postwar economic boom, Kurosawa examined class differences in the country, and while Lee uses the text to comment on the haves and have-nots too, his focus is trained on the 21st century attention economy dictated by the social media hordes.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
The floor and foundation were falling apart, inviting hordes of mice and fleas.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025
The shooting broke out during a sideshow, typically an incident in which hordes of people descend on roads to watch vehicle stunts, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Irish actress Nicola Coughlan, known to hordes of Bridgerton fans as Penelope Featherington/Lady Whistledown and as Clare Devlin to Derry Girls enthusiasts, will be honored at this year’s French TV festival Canneseries with the annual Konbini Commitment Award.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hordes
Noun
-
About 20,000 university students, throngs of enthusiastic visiting alumni, and the bustling tourist traffic ensure Boone has no slow season.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
31 Aug. 2025
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Of course, this stat includes the myriad styles of chardonnay, even if our collective imagination pictures throngs of stereotypical oaky chard drinkers clinking glasses while snacking on sticks of butter.—
Devin Parr,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Getty Images Warmer temperatures in the English Channel, where the Paluel plant draws from, mean that conditions for jellyfish reproduction are far easier, and there are more swarms present in the water to potentially disrupt the energy network.—
Theo Burman
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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The image portrays a man battling over food scraps with swarms of flies indifferent to their invasion of his territory.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Today's solar companies are turning to flocks of sheep to trim grass and control weeds under solar panels.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Keen observers may witness small flocks of Phalaropes swimming in dizzy circles in the quiet ponds.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Entire crowds gunned down at distribution points.—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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In the Lower West Side of Chicago, music blared and green, white and red flags fluttered down the streets of the predominantly Latino Pilsen neighborhood on Saturday as crowds gathered for the start of Mexican Independence Day celebrations.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hordes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hordes. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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