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
Relevance
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 hordes
Aside from royally pissing off hordes of fans (with an average attendance of 25,048 per game, MLB turnstile spins in ’95 were down 20% compared to the league’s pre-strike mark of 31,240), the strike also coincided with a series of media shakeups.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Some are good for taking out enemy hordes, while others focus on lower shields to do more damage.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
But not every beach is created equal and some trade hordes of people for relaxing waves and wide-open stretches of sand.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
Only hordes of people shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting for their chance to see Eileen Gu, the skier, the model, the Stanford student.
—Noah Furtado, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2026
Vampires dominated the screen in the 2010s, as gritty zombie hordes had the decade before that.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
And with the release of Live at the Palace, there’s a clear part of Fleming that hopes to show other comedians a way to live with the reactions of online hordes, without letting the fear of them change their work.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Just ask the hordes of visitors who flock to our Southern shorelines every spring.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Many of the companies that are cutting hordes of jobs – and blaming it on AI – had swelled in size during the pandemic years, when tech companies were meeting demand for online services.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Some are good for taking out enemy hordes, while others focus on lower shields to do more damage.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
But not every beach is created equal and some trade hordes of people for relaxing waves and wide-open stretches of sand.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
Only hordes of people shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting for their chance to see Eileen Gu, the skier, the model, the Stanford student.
—Noah Furtado, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2026
Vampires dominated the screen in the 2010s, as gritty zombie hordes had the decade before that.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
And with the release of Live at the Palace, there’s a clear part of Fleming that hopes to show other comedians a way to live with the reactions of online hordes, without letting the fear of them change their work.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
Just ask the hordes of visitors who flock to our Southern shorelines every spring.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Many of the companies that are cutting hordes of jobs – and blaming it on AI – had swelled in size during the pandemic years, when tech companies were meeting demand for online services.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hordes
Noun
-
Two small tents shaded those who got there earliest, leaving throngs of fans — the rest of us — to bake in the sun as security locked our phones in pouches.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The throngs gathered for what almost happened and what actually did take place.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bee swarms are a natural process in which a large group of bees leaves an existing hive to start a new colony, according to Iowa State University.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Iran has wreaked havoc on military bases, tourist centers and data centers used by America’s largest tech giants with swarms of low-cost Shahed drones that cost between $20,000 and $50,000, according to public estimates.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Studt recommends heading over to one of Palm Beach County’s larger nature preserves, such as Cypress Creek Natural Area in Jupiter or Loxahatchee Slough in Palm Beach Gardens, to catch a glimpse of the spirited flocks.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Cliff swallows are highly social and travel in large flocks.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Massive crowds — estimated to be in the thousands, according to organizers — gathered in Mill Creek Park and marched through the Country Club Plaza on Saturday afternoon in the third installment of the No Kings protests.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Photos highlight artist performances, fan reactions and standout moments from the Main Stage, Worldwide Stage, Megastructure, The Cove, Live Stage, UMF Radio and Oasis, with major sets from Steve Aoki, Hardwell, Carl Cox, Armin Van Buuren and others drawing some of the day’s biggest crowds.—
Miami Herald newsroom,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hordes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hordes. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
