swarms 1 of 3

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

Synonyms & Similar 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 swarms
Noun
The result is a mobile, autonomous counter-drone system that can defeat swarms of unmanned aircraft with precision and minimal collateral damage. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025 Russia is suspected to be behind a series of drone swarms that surveyed and even disrupted critical infrastructure in Denmark and elsewhere, though investigations are ongoing. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 That applies to swarms of AI agents too. Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025 That tension between chance and control, the composer’s command over so many swarms of sound, gives the work both its overwhelming scope and its disappointing sense of sameness. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025 Large flocks of birds — or swarms of bats or insects — at the right altitude and speed reflect enough energy to appear on radar much like a storm. Brandi D. Addison, The Providence Journal, 29 Sep. 2025 Large flocks of birds — or swarms of bats or insects — at the right altitude and speed reflect enough energy to appear on radar much like a storm. Brandi D. Addison, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025 Kyiv is now timing its drone swarms for maximum disruption. David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 These angular creatures eventually organize into swarms resembling giant mobile ferrofluids, spreading over the landscape, feeding on traditional biology. Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swarms
Noun
  • Among the throngs of fans who line up for Angel Reese’s or Caitlin Clark’s autograph after games are boys wearing their jerseys.
    Ben Pickman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Last November, in Lima's cemetery of El Sauce, throngs of people crowded around graves bringing food and drink to the deceased during Dia de Todos los Santos, or All Saints' Day.
    NPR, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Try to squeeze in on a weekday when the hordes will be slightly diminished.
    Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Others tried to navigate the hordes of media members surrounding teammates.
    Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Egg prices fell a bit, fewer sick poultry flocks were culled on farms, and officials took a breath.
    Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The mass deployment of technologies that these minerals make possible—fleets of electric cars; flocks of wind turbines; a cleaner energy grid—may be imperative if our society is to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and thereby avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.
    Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Fall is a lovely time to visit the continent for fewer crowds, better temperatures, and lower prices.
    Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The eight-thousand-seat arena did just that, drawing crowds from across the state with shows from every big name in music.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Swarms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarms. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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