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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of hordes
With sunflower sea stars suddenly all but gone from their home range, sea urchin numbers exploded, and the hungry urchin hordes descended upon kelp forests.
—
JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Typically, by the time the first scene hits the screen, handfuls (more likely hordes) of people have had first looks including cast, crew, friends, family, media, agents, managers, publicists, etc.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
As arena employees started dismantling the balloon columns decorating the venue and turning hordes of mostly female fans away, there was a frenzy of frustrated tweeting and lots of tears.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025
Try to squeeze in on a weekday when the hordes will be slightly diminished.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Others tried to navigate the hordes of media members surrounding teammates.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Fighting off hordes of alien monstrosities AND digging for rare minerals in outer space as a crew of beer-swilling, ass kicking space dwarves?
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Reserve a table at Agricola for a grown-up, farm-to-table meal, or follow the hordes of students for a hoagie at Olives.
—Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 2025
Otherworld, a home to undead hordes and a lightning-hurling dragon, evokes the colors and landscapes of the real world.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Typically, by the time the first scene hits the screen, handfuls (more likely hordes) of people have had first looks including cast, crew, friends, family, media, agents, managers, publicists, etc.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
As arena employees started dismantling the balloon columns decorating the venue and turning hordes of mostly female fans away, there was a frenzy of frustrated tweeting and lots of tears.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025
Try to squeeze in on a weekday when the hordes will be slightly diminished.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Others tried to navigate the hordes of media members surrounding teammates.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Fighting off hordes of alien monstrosities AND digging for rare minerals in outer space as a crew of beer-swilling, ass kicking space dwarves?
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Reserve a table at Agricola for a grown-up, farm-to-table meal, or follow the hordes of students for a hoagie at Olives.
—Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 2025
Otherworld, a home to undead hordes and a lightning-hurling dragon, evokes the colors and landscapes of the real world.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hordes
Noun
-
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
-
Among the throngs of fans who line up for Angel Reese’s or Caitlin Clark’s autograph after games are boys wearing their jerseys.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The result is a mobile, autonomous counter-drone system that can defeat swarms of unmanned aircraft with precision and minimal collateral damage.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Russia is suspected to be behind a series of drone swarms that surveyed and even disrupted critical infrastructure in Denmark and elsewhere, though investigations are ongoing.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Egg prices fell a bit, fewer sick poultry flocks were culled on farms, and officials took a breath.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The mass deployment of technologies that these minerals make possible—fleets of electric cars; flocks of wind turbines; a cleaner energy grid—may be imperative if our society is to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and thereby avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Fall is a lovely time to visit the continent for fewer crowds, better temperatures, and lower prices.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The eight-thousand-seat arena did just that, drawing crowds from across the state with shows from every big name in music.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hordes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hordes. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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