swarms 1 of 3

Definition of swarmsnext
plural of swarm

swarms

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of swarm
1
as in flocks
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers meeting little resistance, the pirates swarmed the decks of the merchant ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

swarms

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of swarm
as in climbs
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 swarms
Noun
October marks the start of butterfly season, with vibrant swarms fluttering well into the green season. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Mar. 2026 In the cat-and-mouse game of drone warfare, the Ukrainians have also built up a layered defense against the Shahed and its variants – and claim to have seen significant success in countering Russian drone swarms. Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026 Like clockwork, swarms of twisters swirl through the middle of the nation, with activity peaking between April and June. Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2026 Those warheads typically carry 30 kg to 50 kg of explosives and can pack a punch, particularly when used in large swarms, with advanced versions capable of a range of up to 1,200 miles. Dylan Butts, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026 On New Year’s Day, programmer Steve Yegge launched Gas Town, an open-source platform that lets users orchestrate swarms of Claude Code agents simultaneously, assembling software at blistering speed. Harvard Business Review, 5 Mar. 2026 But one gap in their planning became clear during the first days of the war, as the United States and its allies used their most advanced anti-aircraft systems to shoot down swarms of cheap, easily replaceable Iranian drones. Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026 And imagine nations commanding drone swarms and robot dog packs capable of making decisions and executing missions without human intervention. Eric Schmidt, Time, 3 Mar. 2026 German defense technology startup SWARM Biotactics has deployed programmable cyborg insect swarms for paying NATO customers, including German military forces, moving a seemingly fictional concept from experiments to operational field use. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
The unapologetically lurid tale of two families locked in an ever-complex cat’s cradle of class resentments and adulterous power plays also swarms with queen bees and jaw-droppingly muscular men that feel straight out of the Real Housewives playbook. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026 Launching swarms mid-air The aircraft was publicly displayed for the first time at Airshow China in Zhuhai in 2024, where Chinese broadcasters highlighted its potential military functions. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 11 Dec. 2025 In the 13-second video, Cynthia Erivo pulls him off the pop star before security swarms him. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swarms
Noun
  • Come summer, throngs of tourists descend on the likes of Florence, Rome and Venice to marvel at the historic architecture and sample the delicious food.
    Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Workers bustle by them in throngs in the center of Guadalajara.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • And with the release of Live at the Palace, there’s a clear part of Fleming that hopes to show other comedians a way to live with the reactions of online hordes, without letting the fear of them change their work.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Just ask the hordes of visitors who flock to our Southern shorelines every spring.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Lead poisoning is the top threat, and most flocks remain dependent on captive breeding.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The same Daybreak Foods location was released from quarantine in November, after bird flu was reported twice last fall in the company's Jefferson County flocks, according to a spokesperson for the state's agriculture department.
    Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Marsh is also concerned with how crowds, loud noises and bright lights could impact animals nearby.
    Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
  • While the celebration always draws massive crowds, attendees were especially excited for Gu, who drew loud cheers.
    Jane Tyska, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Swarms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarms. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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