as in floods
a large group of animals or people moving together in a quick and disordered way
During the morning rush hour, the coffee shop gets hit with a stampede of customers.
Related Words
Relevance
as in darts
to move together in a quick and disordered manner and usually in a large group
At the sound of the lunch bell, all five hundred students in the building stampeded toward the cafeteria.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 stampedes
Behnam Ben Taleblu, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026
The Saudi government has poured massive investment into redeveloping the area around holy site following a series of deadly stampedes and a crane accident that killed more than a hundred people in 2015.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
People crushed or suffocated in stampedes.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
Trump should discipline his rhetoric, avoiding terms such as riots and stampedes that echo regime propaganda.
—Behnam Ben Taleblu, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026
The Saudi government has poured massive investment into redeveloping the area around holy site following a series of deadly stampedes and a crane accident that killed more than a hundred people in 2015.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
People crushed or suffocated in stampedes.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stampedes
Noun
-
Diving bell spiders, for example, trap air bubbles to survive underwater, while fire ants link their water-repellent bodies together to form floating rafts during floods.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Finally, as climate challenges grow, school meals can build local capacity, which can help communities endure droughts, floods, wars, and other crises.—
Reem Alabali Radovan,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When Samson starts coming round in search of more of the morphine darts Kelson has been using to subdue him — not even zombies are immune to the appeal of opiates — Kelson starts treating his wounds, then joining him in his doses, then dancing with him to fragments of ’80s songs.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
17 Jan. 2026
-
The Easter eggs of art history are plentiful, telling a story that dips and darts in many thrilling directions.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Ole Miss hasn’t seen many pass rushes like Miami’s, though, so that’ll be a compelling matchup in the Fiesta Bowl.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Not after 303 rushes (for 1,179 yards), 96 receptions (for 890 yards) and 17 touchdowns.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
According to the outlet, Nelson regularly does sit-ups, arm rolls, leg lifts and jogs in place to keep his physical health in order.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
22 Dec. 2025
-
No fan cheers when their team’s punter jogs onto the field facing fourth and long.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
23 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In 2017, soaking storms led to flooding that caused $100 million in damage in downtown San Jose and the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people when the spillway at Oroville Dam, the nation’s tallest dam, in Butte County, partially collapsed under torrents of water.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Without intervention, water flows off the steep slopes in torrents, rapidly stripping away soil.—
Stephen Acabado,
The Conversation,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stampedes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stampedes. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
