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
Back in 1961, residents of Capitola woke up to find that hordes of black seabirds were slamming into cars, windows and people's homes and dying.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The birds have survived in hordes in the deserts, but civilization nearly always spells their doom.
—Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 23 Oct. 2025
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
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The birds have survived in hordes in the deserts, but civilization nearly always spells their doom.
—Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 23 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hordes
Noun
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The outing—which, according to local reports, appeared to be equal parts publicity stunt, cultural gesture, and celebration of potential new AI partnerships—drew throngs of spectators with flashing cameras, and sent South Korean fried-chicken stocks soaring.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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To avoid the throngs of high-season tourists, consider visiting the Italian town from March to May or September to November, during its shoulder seasons.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Parts of the organization could become minimum viable organizations (MVOs) where swarms of AI agents oversee most work, while people check their outputs.—
Erik Roth,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
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Sennott never steps outside the frame to ask what kind of person flocks to the influencer sphere and why, or whether any meaning can be found in such apparently soulless work.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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There have been 24 detections of bird flu at poultry farms across the nation, resulting in the culling of entire flocks to prevent the spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ticket buyers were mostly younger males, with men accounting for 61% of audiences and 24 to 34-year-olds representing 39% of crowds.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
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Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds gathered at the Sikh temple in Sutter County Sunday for an annual celebration that has grown exponentially in its 46 years of existence.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hordes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hordes. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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