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
Through the project, hordes of people were confronted with the biases of facial recognition technology for the first time.
—
Louis Bury, ARTnews.com, 1 May 2026
Based on a viral short film, the movie features Martin Freeman and Susie Porter as a couple who have commandeered a houseboat to evade hordes of rapacious undead.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
When the mountain park opens for the season, their businesses attract hordes of mountain bikers.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
Oldham knew the Beatles played primarily to hordes of screaming girls.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
While the course’s low rates have attracted hordes of players, the city has determined that much of the problem stems from the golf course’s 86 annual members, who provide the least amount of revenue yet account for one-quarter of the golf course’s total usage, according to Couceyro.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 17 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
That collective mood change was evident before tipoff against the San Antonio Spurs, when the baseline buzz — and the crowded hordes of cell phone videographers who come with it — was back in full force.
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
And since the album came out, hordes of fans have turned into armchair investigators, trying to assess which songs may contain AI.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
Louis Bury, ARTnews.com, 1 May 2026
Based on a viral short film, the movie features Martin Freeman and Susie Porter as a couple who have commandeered a houseboat to evade hordes of rapacious undead.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
When the mountain park opens for the season, their businesses attract hordes of mountain bikers.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026
Oldham knew the Beatles played primarily to hordes of screaming girls.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
While the course’s low rates have attracted hordes of players, the city has determined that much of the problem stems from the golf course’s 86 annual members, who provide the least amount of revenue yet account for one-quarter of the golf course’s total usage, according to Couceyro.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 17 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
That collective mood change was evident before tipoff against the San Antonio Spurs, when the baseline buzz — and the crowded hordes of cell phone videographers who come with it — was back in full force.
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
And since the album came out, hordes of fans have turned into armchair investigators, trying to assess which songs may contain AI.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hordes
Noun
-
In general, juvenile crimes are more often committed with others, and images of roaming throngs of teens has an outsized presence in media and in the public’s amygdala.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Leo was met by throngs of cheering Italians, some of whom had been waiting since the middle of the night to greet him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Most often, quake swarms are caused by fluids — typically water — interacting with fault lines, the federal agency said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
-
Russian officials have not identified the source of the drones, but Russia’s defense ministry has ascribed other drone swarms in the Arkhangelsk region to Ukraine.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Formed by volcanic debris a quarter of a million years ago, the alkaline, algae-rich lakes attract giant flocks of hungry flamingos, along with a vast variety of wading and migratory birds.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
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Picture murmurations of starlings staining the sky like ink drops or flocks of sheep flowing like liquid.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Locations like Tarifa, Cádiz and inland hill towns offer expansive views and long totality, though with the likelihood of heavy crowds.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
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Marketers will rush to put down dollars on programs that can still draw large crowds all tuning in at once, says one media buying executive.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hordes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hordes. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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