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
Mikael Granlund’s goal was an unfortunate hop, and the third goal, which was scored by Ian Moore, was a wobbling slap shot through hordes of traffic.
—
Eric Stephens, New York Times, 12 May 2026
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
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
Eric Stephens, New York Times, 12 May 2026
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
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
-
Scientists have developed living microrobot swarms made from algae and nanoparticles that can assemble into custom shapes under blue light and disperse on command with red light.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
-
Subterranean, drywood and dampwood, the three most common types of termites in the United States, all have reproductive castes capable of flying in swarms.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The album, which of course features flocks of pigeons on the cover, boasts a tighter, fuller sound than previous releases, thanks in part to production by Kenneth Blume (Geese, Idles) and Klas Åhlund (Iggy Pop, Katy Perry).—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
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Storms are also very structured and denser than flocks of birds.—
Marta Hill,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The Philly crowds have been Rory-obsessed.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
For the calmest conditions, visit in the summer, from around June to August (although late spring and autumn may bring fewer crowds).—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hordes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hordes. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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