swarmed 1 of 2

past tense of swarm
1
as in flocked
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers meeting little resistance, the pirates swarmed the decks of the merchant ship

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2
as in buzzed
to be copiously supplied at this time of year that Mexican resort swarms with college students on spring break

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swarmed

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of swarm
as in climbed
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling one of the physical challenges had competitors swarming over a pile of logs

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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 swarmed
Verb
The challenge was to see how many passes each team could complete before they were dispossessed as opponents swarmed all over them. James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 And when the sun went down again the clouds were pink and then blue and then darker, and stars swarmed in. Gabriel Winslow-Yost, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 Jerseys have swarmed the fashion capitols, and not just for sports fanatics. Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026 According to his account, one exit was blocked by security personnel while attackers swarmed the other side of the backstage area. Dave Brooks, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026 The East Palo Alto Police Department shared a video of the rescue that shows the dog swimming in a body of water while swarmed by seagulls. Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 The day after Hearn’s arrest, law enforcement from around the country, who had just arrived to help with the July 4 celebrations, swarmed the area. Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026 The predator that found paradise Blue crabs swarmed quietly for decades around the Po Delta lagoons. Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 About an hour later, neighbors heard sirens as an ambulance, a fire truck, and police swarmed the area. Eric Adler july 18, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swarmed
Verb
  • Yet American students and scholars flocked in droves to theory, perceiving in its recondite abstractions a thrilling new way of understanding the world—even, some believed, of changing it.
    Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • As millions of visitors flocked to the coast for a reprieve from the heat, lifeguards across California have sprung into action, making thousands of rescues over the last few days, some of which have gone viral on social media.
    Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026
Verb
  • Two flies buzzed the kitchen while three of their friends did the same in the dry food storage area.
    David J. Neal July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • And a bit later, his phone buzzed with a few texts from friends.
    Ethan Brooks, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Branch library program attendance rose 10% in fiscal 2026 compared with the previous year, while attendance at research libraries increased 6%; overall visits climbed 2% and 4%, respectively, across all ages according to data provided by NYPL.
    Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Gunther climbed to the top rope, and Aldis hit a superplex to lefel the playing field.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Train stations in Morocco’s capital, Rabat, and in the country’s largest city, Casablanca, were crowded with people trying to travel to the border with Ceuta.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Listeners crowded her Thursday Airbnb set all the way from the stage into the street.
    Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • His emotions — and that sticky goo in his wrists — are about to burst.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • Along the narrow hallway, bookshelves burst with first editions of John Updike, battered Stephen Kings, graphic novels, dime-store paperbacks, board games, books about mythology, children’s fairy tales, and Warhammer rule sets.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • Scientists scrambled to Fauci’s defense ahead of the unusual hearing — the second time the longtime National Institutes of Health scientist has been back before Congress to discuss pandemic origins since leaving the government in 2022.
    Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Spectators and another speaker, Henry Reese, scrambled to aid Rushdie.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • My husband Grant Wahl's bulged and burst, at an age when this disease usually means something inherited.
    Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • That ball found the head of Jude Bellingham, whose diving header bulged the net and opened the scoring.
    Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Verb
  • Several members equipped with climbing harnesses clambered up a small tree on the school’s front lawn and dangled from its limbs on climbing ropes.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
  • Cars honked their horns and cyclists pulled over to tune in as flags fluttered in the wind, fans clambered to see the screen, and people hugged and shouted.
    Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Swarmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarmed. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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