multitudes

noun

plural of multitude
1
as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together awed by the multitude of stars in the night sky

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in masses
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite the nation's idle rich frolicked while the multitude starved

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 multitudes At first glance, Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an enormous white desert—but this vast expanse contains multitudes. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026 As a singer, artist, songwriter, entertainer, author, businesswoman and philanthropist, Parton built a multifaceted career that included multitudes of accolades. — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2026 Despite its small size, around 17,000 residents, Laconia contains multitudes. — Lila Harron Battis, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026 But a blip can contain multitudes, and this one allows Murashige to question every aspect of the social order that has shaped him. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 People contain multitudes, but such contradictions are the whole of the book. — Literary Hub, 23 July 2026 The plot point adds another shade to both characters’ multitudes. — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026 For the wine fans, there are multitudes of cellar doors showcasing the brilliant Shiraz and Grenache that proliferates here--the product of ancient limestone soil, as well as some of the oldest continually-producing grape vines in the world. — Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 No single category can contain the Whitmanesque multitudes jockeying for position inside us. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for multitudes
  1. throngs
  2. crowds
  3. swarms
  4. populaces
  5. hordes
  6. people
  7. flocks
  8. publics
Noun
  • The cows made their way to the altar — with the handlers helping to guide them with hay — through throngs of people and a few mascots sitting in seats and lined up on the streets, who stopped by just to see the unique occasion.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The rooms proved to be catnip for selfie-seekers and a financial boon to museums and galleries, which could dependably rely on them to draw throngs of visitors eager to line up for a chance at a few seconds alone in one of them.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of throngs
Noun
  • As federal agents increasingly used chemical irritants on crowds, Michael Cavlan began spending less time patrolling and more time treating people who’d been hurt.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • As usual, the Alley Art Festival on Saturday drew crowds who browsed at dozens of tents featuring oil paintings, sculptures, sketches, jewelry, pottery and other artwork along Water Street Mall and Downer Place.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of crowds
Noun
  • Adversaries may soon be able to fly drones in coordinated swarms using AI, effectively overwhelming any defenses.
    — Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Nightly swarms of drones closed Russian airports, struck oil refineries or set ablaze the warehouses of retail giants Wildberries and Ozon.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of swarms
Noun
  • But Onslaught doesn’t interrogate or even look at the military industrial complex with much interest beyond the notion that its fictional super soldiers were created to be unleashed upon civilian populaces.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of populaces
Noun
  • Each year, hordes of celebrities — including A-list musicians — flock to The Met in New York City to walk the red carpet in avant-garde outfits inspired by the Costume Institute’s spring theme.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Chino Hills State Park is almost never crowded, except during a spring super bloom, when the hillsides erupt in California poppies and hordes of would-be influencers arrive to take photos for Instagram.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hordes
Noun
  • Another 13 people were wounded on downtown Sacramento’s K Street and 10th Street, in what became the deadliest mass shooting in the city’s history.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026
  • Organizers say more than 125,000 people are expected throughout the event, bringing in millions of dollars for the local economy.
    — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Definition of people
Noun
  • And then there are the animals The regulations say domestic or other animals kept in groups such as packs, herds, litters, bevies or flocks larger than three are prohibited, unless the Village approves otherwise by resolution.
    — Luisa Yanez Updated September 3, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Editor’s pick More picks A rare bird draws flocks of Southern California birders to this Irvine marsh to get a glimpse.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of flocks
Noun
  • Finland, Israel, and Ukraine have long traditions of developing strategic plans and communicating to their publics about homeland threats.
    — Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Energy buyers in Asia and Europe, the US military, Arab publics, global investors, universities, football, and mediation partners from Tehran to the Taliban all came to want Qatar functioning, each for their own reason.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of publics

Browse Nearby Words

multitude
multitudes
multitudinous
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Cite this Entry

“Multitudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/multitudes. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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