MOB Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'mob' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mob are crowd , crush , horde , and throng . While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence. // an angry mob

Q: Where would 'crowd' be a reasonable alternative to 'mob'?

While the synonyms crowd and mob are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together. // a crowd gathered

Q: In what contexts can 'crush' take the place of 'mob'?

The words crush and mob are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort. // a crush of fans

Q: How do 'throng' and 'horde' relate to one another, in the sense of 'mob'?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing. // a throng of reporters // a horde of shoppers

mob 1 of 2

noun

ˈmäb

Definition of mob

as in crowd

a great number of persons or creatures massed together a mob of pigeons soon flocked around us after they spied the bread crumbs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in Mafia

a group involved in secret or criminal activities the club owner was accused of having connections with a mob of racketeers

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in populace

the body of the community as contrasted with the elite political speeches designed to appeal to the mob

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

mob

2 of 2

verb

as in to flock

to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers the snack bar was mobbed as soon as the meeting was over

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun mob differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mob are crowd, crush, horde, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Where would crowd be a reasonable alternative to mob?

While the synonyms crowd and mob are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

In what contexts can crush take the place of mob?

The words crush and mob are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

How do throng and horde relate to one another, in the sense of mob?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters

a horde of shoppers

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 mob

Noun

The animals — collectively known as a mob — make up the population of Jumping Junction, an attraction at the theme park’s Conservation Station. — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026 The series also features a star-studded supporting cast, with Drew Starkey playing Taylor-Joy’s husband and Annette Bening as a dangerous mob leader who is after her. — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026

Verb

Balogun’s version went much faster on the pitch at Levi’s Stadium, perhaps accelerated by adrenaline or the need to complete the gesture before being mobbed by his teammates. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 2 July 2026 Mayele put Congo ahead 10 minutes later when flicking past Nematov at the near post and was mobbed by teammates and even substitutes, who raced off the bench and across the field to join in the wild celebrations. — CBS News, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mob

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mob

Noun

By evening, crowds overflowed outside the site and spilled onto the streets and lanes.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
The Tesla Diner is one year old as crowds lined up to charge at the highest-usage Supercharger in the world.

— Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of crowd

Noun

Their past two victories against Switzerland and Egypt came with the help of controversial calls that had the soccer-watching populace buzzing about potential favoritism toward Argentina.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 14 July 2026
Trump’s decision to deploy these soldiers has thoroughly spooked a populace that already distrusts the president.

— Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026

Definition of populace

Verb

Supporters flocked there, the club went on to sign Shearer for a world-record fee and, suddenly, potential was irrelevant.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Team Coco followers flocked to the comments section on YouTube to commiserate over O’Brien’s, err, wet look.

— Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 21 July 2026

Definition of flock

Noun

These friends describe a large party on Horn Island, which is a favorite gathering spot in the summer, with throngs of people spread out in the sun and surf and around numerous boats, some of them drinking in water known to be deep and dangerous.

— Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Just Friday, a member of the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight-demonstration team, buzzed Pensacola Beach at extremely low altitude and a high angle of bank, close to throngs of spectators.

— Brynn Tannehill, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026

Definition of throng

Noun

For many, official pledges of justice ring hollow in a country where few gang slayings are resolved beyond what critics call token arrests, typically of low-level hit men and not the masterminds.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
The government is currently setting up its own official inquiry into the gangs.

— Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026

Definition of gang

Noun

Both the Mexican government and public are highly sensitive to interference from a neighbor that annexed more than half their territory in the 1800s.

— Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
After all, this wasn’t just the typical NHL homecoming, where a struggling team trots out a former player to buy some time with a skeptical public.

— Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of public

Noun

The immediate focus is Frenzy 8, a 200-pound-force-thrust engine designed for swarm-class drones, expendable aircraft and other uncrewed defense systems.

— Carolyn Schwaar, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
That agentic swarm exploited a flaw in Hugging Face’s data-processing pipeline to gain the ability to run code as a processing worker, eventually escalating to high-level access to the company’s cloud and server clusters.

— Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026

Definition of swarm

Browse Nearby Words

moats

mob

mobbed

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Style

“Mob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mob. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of mob

noun

verb

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