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
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Scott Wedman sinks four three-point field goals without a miss and shot 11-for-11 overall from the field, both NBA Finals records, as Boston routs the Lakers 148-114 in Game 1.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
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
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
Often the highest lines will be for matches that are expected to be routs.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Scott Wedman sinks four three-point field goals without a miss and shot 11-for-11 overall from the field, both NBA Finals records, as Boston routs the Lakers 148-114 in Game 1.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
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
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
-
After the final buzzer confirmed the Knicks' 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Texas' Frost Bank Center on Saturday, June 13, throngs of people sporting blue and orange flocked to the streets of all five boroughs.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
Friday’s watch party attracted throngs of revelers to MSG, but also brought some chaos to Midtown, with 26 people arrested for a variety of offenses, from assault to selling counterfeit merchandise to climbing on top of light poles, food vendor carts and subway entrances.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
At 31, Moises concludes his UFC tenure with an 8-8 record over 16 fights, having faced recent struggles with three losses in his last four outings, including consecutive defeats.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
-
The United States almost certainly would have wound up fighting the sort of casualty-heavy counterinsurgency campaign that has led it to costly defeats elsewhere.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Guests can enjoy year-round escapes surrounded by nature, designed to encourage relaxation and connection.—
Regan Stephens,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
-
Still, youthful rebellion in virtual reality looks great and the concept of online escapes resonates in an increasingly intense real world.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The campus is eerily silent, even as Israel attacks Lebanon and the United States bombs Iran.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2026
-
The United States bombs Iran's nuclear facilities days later.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 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
-
The Spanish Navy has carried out a successful at-sea test of the Hornet Block 1 interceptor, a new system designed to counter the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone swarms.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
-
But for now, the booby seems healthy and pretty much unbothered by the swarms of people paying it a visit — one of whom is Amy Gobbini, who briefly stopped from her nearby workplace to snag a picture on her phone.—
Sophie Lindberg,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Many of the attacks targeted energy infrastructure and commercial sites, causing billions of dollars of economic losses and shattering their image as a safe haven for foreign travel and investment.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
-
Bond puts increase in value when bond prices fall and interest rates rise, allowing investors to offset losses elsewhere in their portfolios if borrowing costs jump unexpectedly.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
Noun
-
In April, American Airlines tightened restrictions on portable chargers that passengers can bring on flights.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Airlines typically buy fuel in advance, adjust their schedules gradually and price tickets based heavily on demand, meaning lower oil and jet fuel prices can take weeks or months to get factored into the cost of commercial flights.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Routs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/routs. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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