mob 1 of 2

noun

ˈmäb How to pronounce mob (audio)
Definition of mobnext
1
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

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2
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
3
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
What is perhaps more unspeakable is that 30 Border Patrol agents called the Chicago Police Department for assistance after a mob formed around the crime scene, and the Chicago Police Department’s Chief of Patrol instructed his officers to STAND DOWN. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly known as the Mormons, was killed by a mob in 1844 in Illinois. —Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
In a video that went viral, Ripley was seen being swarmed and mobbed by a group of overly aggressive fans on the street. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025 Chalmers swished the wide-open corner 3, giving Miami the target score of 50 and causing a wild celebration in which his teammates mobbed him on the court. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mob
  1. crowd
  2. Mafia
  3. populace
  4. flock
  5. throng
  6. gang
  7. public
  8. swarm
Noun
  • Arsenal kept the ball for another minute and quietened the home crowd to get a better feel for the game.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The unconventional thriller played like gangbusters to the buzzing New York crowd.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Definition of crowd
Noun
  • The series follows the Black Mafia Family in Detroit and is based on a true story.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • On the surface, the crime drama follows the rise and fall of the Black Mafia Family — one of the most influential crime families in the country.
    — Kayla Grant, People.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Definition of Mafia
Noun
  • As a result, their popularity is reflective of political and national sympathies among the populace in Mary’s time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
  • This willingness of the AI to heap praise and act as a sycophant has worrying consequences for the populace as a whole.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Definition of populace
Verb
  • Autumn might be in the air, but that doesn’t mean tourists have stopped flocking to Europe—quite the opposite, in fact.
    — Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
  • While Nashville has grown by leaps and bounds, so have its smaller surrounding cities, as people flock to the suburbs, eager to enjoy small-town charm while staying close to the conveniences of a major metro.
    — Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of flock
Noun
  • Each fall, the otherwise unassuming destination, which has a population of about 11,000, lures in throngs of travelers looking for thrills and hauntings.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The streams from his time in San Francisco, Oakland, and the nation’s capital did indeed feature some of the more frenzied throngs of people screaming his name and reaching out to touch him, held back only by a cadre of burly bodyguards.
    — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2025
Definition of throng
Noun
  • Abrego Garcia entered the country illegally more than a decade ago but had a court order blocking his deportation to El Salvador over what a judge found was a credible fear of persecution by gangs there.
    — Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The group’s name refers to three infamous cybercrime gangs—Scattered Spider, LAPSUS, and Shiny Hunters—each responsible for a string of breaches in recent years.
    — Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025
Definition of gang
Noun
  • Gallego urged the traveling public to be kind to airport workers.
    — Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • While his core supporters remain loyal, sustained disapproval among the broader public could weaken his leverage in negotiations with Congress and erode confidence in his leadership.
    — Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Definition of public
Noun
  • There was a swarm of Cowboy fans out in front, not Jet fans, Cowboy fans, and the entire stadium was brimming with the enthusiasm of Cowboys and certainly late in the game.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The authors suggest future iterations could work in swarms, share threat data via secure networks, and even collaborate with human security personnel in hybrid teams.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of swarm

Browse Nearby Words

moats
mob
mobbed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mob. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mob

Nglish: Translation of mob for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mob

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