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
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 routs
Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for routs
Verb
-
Remind them their worth is non-negotiable When your child fails — gets cut from the team, bombs a test — remind them their value isn't up for debate.—
Jennifer Breheny Wallace,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
To accomplish this, Barton turned to the fundamental dance technique of spotting, where the dancer finds a focal point in front of them and whips their head around to hold that focus spot and keep themself centered.—
Oliver Sava,
Vulture,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Wind whips both the sound waves and temperatures around, so bring a blanket even if it’s not forecast to rain or hail.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Wednesday leaves anyway, but Enid chases her because Capri is doing dorm checks, and Enid will NOT miss the Gala.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
-
An older woman’s purse is stolen on the train, and Jay reverts to his movie-star persona and chases the culprit off the train and into a field, showing off his action credentials and making some inadvertent headlines along the way.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But Isaac catches Thing’s dart, then reattaches Thing to his arm and buries Wednesday alive.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The aforementioned eyeball alien buries itself deep into its prey before popping out and skittering along the floor like the world’s loudest spider.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
As a supernova explosion ejects the outer layers of these stars, their stellar cores collapse.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Saginaw’s surge overcomes Boswell The Pioneers of Boswell dominated play in the opening half, building a 21-0 lead that looked rock solid behind a persistent defense and an offense balanced with good running and passing.—
Pat Wheeler,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The technology overcomes the key trade-off between energy density and charging speed that limited previous lithium-metal battery designs.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ashton also dismisses the concerns that a three-year degree lacks the many electives and opportunities for self-discovery.—
Bryan Penprase,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Trump's approach dismisses collective security and weakens NATO's cohesion.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This storied sandwich is served each year at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia; and many have long tried to replicate the recipe, which seemingly masters the perfect ratio of ingredients for classic egg salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Focus is difficult and hardly anyone masters the skill.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Routs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/routs. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share