as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
a great rout of rubberneckers had gathered around the scene of the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in defeats
failure to win a contest
the championship game was a humiliating rout for the team that had been favored to win
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escapes
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
in the mad rout from the school shooter, it was every person for himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bombs
to defeat by a large margin
as expected, the professional team had no trouble routing the amateurs
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in outs
to drive or force out
the nation's ground and air forces quickly routed the would-be invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of routs
ABC News, 12 May 2026
High school football in La Jolla this week was a tale of two routs — one on the positive side and the other not so much.
—La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2025
Let the home routs and the Albertsons Stadium invincibility continue.
—Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
Yes, the Fed might be able to step in judiciously to prevent retreats from turning into routs.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
That the show is a food-star factory is not exactly in the spirit of the bake-offs that inspired it, which were vicious routs among just-above-average home bakers, for almost no measurable reward.
—Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2026
Dean Smith collects his 700th career coaching victory as North Carolina routs Maryland 105-73.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
McClymonds routs Oakland Tech in Silver Bowl, dedicates championship to former Skyline and Laney football coach John Beam, who was shot and killed last week.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025
Noun
Oklahoma City went 8-0 against LeBron James and the Lakers this season — and the defending champs are also 8-0 in these playoffs after back-to-back routs of Phoenix and Los Angeles.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
High school football in La Jolla this week was a tale of two routs — one on the positive side and the other not so much.
—La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2025
Let the home routs and the Albertsons Stadium invincibility continue.
—Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
Yes, the Fed might be able to step in judiciously to prevent retreats from turning into routs.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
That the show is a food-star factory is not exactly in the spirit of the bake-offs that inspired it, which were vicious routs among just-above-average home bakers, for almost no measurable reward.
—Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
Covenant Classical routs Weatherford Christian Fort Worth Covenant Classical got 17 points from Tate Mitchell to lead the Cavaliers to a 84-32 victory against Weatherford Christian in a TAPPS 1-3A game on Friday.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2026
Dean Smith collects his 700th career coaching victory as North Carolina routs Maryland 105-73.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
McClymonds routs Oakland Tech in Silver Bowl, dedicates championship to former Skyline and Laney football coach John Beam, who was shot and killed last week.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for routs
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
-
All season long, the Wolves have relied on their resilience to bounce back from embarrassing defeats.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Jake LaRavia, who played in all 82 games for the Lakers during the regular season, simply digressed when asked what the Lakers could have learned from the quartet of defeats.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Assouline is one of my cultural escapes, Apple my tech core and Nespresso my morning ritual.—
Jenny B. Fine,
Footwear News,
8 May 2026
-
Trails in nearby Montreat provide quick escapes into the mountains, while the legacy of the now-defunct Black Mountain College continues to shape the town’s deeply rooted arts culture today.—
Kristy Tolley,
Travel + Leisure,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The United States bombs Iran's nuclear facilities days later.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Page Six gets a Hollywood edition Papps declined last week to reveal what stories his reporters were chasing and what bombs the political columnists will throw in its first editions.—
Christopher Weber,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Ezekiel Richardson outs himself as a spy for the Continental Army to Claire.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Luckily, the king’s favorite wife, Esther, outs herself as Jewish.—
Betsy Andrews,
Saveur,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Most often, quake swarms are caused by fluids — typically water — interacting with fault lines, the federal agency said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
-
Russian officials have not identified the source of the drones, but Russia’s defense ministry has ascribed other drone swarms in the Arkhangelsk region to Ukraine.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Until late in the season, Indiana had more losses than any other program in college football history.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Laurel won’t have a Triple Crown contender to offset losses.—
Sam Cohn,
Baltimore Sun,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
More Americans are hitting the road, boarding flights and taking cruises this Memorial Day, according to AAA.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
SpaceX has flown all but five of those with NASA’s Space Launch System on the Artemis II mission, a Blue Origin New Glenn mission and three flights from United Launch Alliance making up the rest.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Routs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/routs. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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