mob 1 of 2

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
Initially dismissed as an accident, Charles, Oliver and Mabel dive headfirst into the investigation, uncovering a sprawling conspiracy that stretches beyond the building’s walls and entangles New York’s old mob families with its newest billionaires. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025 Depicted in books, movies and songs, Pusser has been known as the 1960s-era lawman who took on the State Line mob (sometimes armed only with a signature hickory stick) and won respect in McNairy County, Tennessee. Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Inside, the air buzzed with anticipation — local DJs kept the energy high, pop-up merch stations were mobbed, and every corner seemed to hold a fan snapping selfies in fresh burgundy-and-blue gear. Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Another 60 mobbed the mop sink and chemical storage room. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mob
Noun
  • The Giants' pass rush should get a boost from the home crowd and prevent this from being easy for Patrick Mahomes and Co.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Other clips depict engines roaring with huge crowds and fireworks being set off.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
  • Today, the best fashion schools have made sustainability a core principle, and the designers graduating from the world’s best design programs, like Nale, are looking at their future careers through a different lens than what the general populace is used to expecting from Fashion.
    Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Rather than unifying and pacifying a populace, this kind of media encouraged idiosyncratic, extreme views.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Businesses flocked here and built giant aerospace and computer industries.
    John Seiler, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Bent Creek Experimental Forest Bent Creek Experimental Forest, which sits in the Pisgah Ranger District, is the closest section of Pisgah National Forest to downtown Asheville, and has more than 20 miles of trail that locals and visitors flock to for mountain bike rides and trail runs.
    Graham Averill, Outside, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Teasdale was wedged within the throngs of the crowds but happy to have a clear view of Kirk.
    Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
  • When a World War II-era bomb is found buried under a London construction site, the authorities are determined to evacuate the throngs of innocent bystanders in the vicinity.
    Kevin Cassidy, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In Don’t Get High, an alpha dork and her merry gang of dweebs start an anti-drug group at their high school to make friends and influence people.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This week, 32 member states of the OAS issued a joint statement supporting efforts by the United States and Panama to field a more aggressive force into Haiti to fight the gangs.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • More generally, the Nepalese public criticized the government’s measures disproportionate impact on ordinary users.
    Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025
  • That's significant because the Environmental Protection Agency cited it in its attempts to roll back its prior finding that greenhouse gases posed a danger to the US public.
    Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Inside, the minimalist lobby doubles as a gallery, and the in-house restaurant, The Hive, is dripping with sculptures of glowing honeycombs, kudzu vines, and swarms of bees.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2025
  • But Iranians knew better, and the Friday after Jîna’s death swarms of people, mostly women, congregated in front of Kasra Hospital, overflowing with rage about seeing another one of our young women disposed of by the security state with such casual cruelty.
    Fatemeh Jamalpour, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mob. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mob

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!