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

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
With the front line barely moving as swarms of drones hinder advances, both sides have sought an edge by launching long-range strikes. Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026 With the front line barely moving as swarms of drones hinder advances, both sides have sought an edge by launching long-range strikes. ABC News, 6 June 2026 Navy fleets could deploy cooperative drone swarms to sweep for hazards without exposing humans to danger. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026 Now is the time to get ahead of the swarms by controlling bagworms, aphids, whiteflies, stinkbugs, and Japanese beetles. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 May 2026 Without these hand-offs and guardrails, unchecked agent swarms invite uncontainable chaos. Amrit Jassal, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 During mating seasons, adult males will hover in large swarms searching for females. Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026 Autonomous drones can form swarms that overwhelm defenses through numbers while adapting to changing battlefield conditions by communicating with one another, instead of being remotely piloted by a human controller. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 27 May 2026 For the past few weeks, swarms of the diminutive insects have been seen flittering en masse through parks and backyards across the Bay Area. Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
Verb
Washington swarms with health specialists. Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026 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
  • Just a forehand shot away from the red clay courts, Auteuil is an authentic pocket of Paris that’s far from the tourist throngs—and the stereotypes sometimes saddled on it by east-leaning Parisians.
    Mary Winston Nicklin, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
  • The Israel Day parade has always been a must-attend event for mayors, governors and other political leaders to celebrate the Jewish state with throngs of revelers who pack Fifth Avenue.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable.
    Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.
    , FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In braids and a bright yellow fishing bib, with her dog Claude at her side and a witty interjection always on the tip of her tongue, Maude climbs onto her trusty little boat and sets a course for the open sea.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
  • Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, rises about 20,310 feet above sea level and is considered one of the most demanding climbs in North America.
    Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • The venue only seats 2,600, so hordes of fans queued up for the standby list in Riverside Park before parking themselves behind bullpens.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 3 June 2026
  • The streets of Soho are quiet in comparison to the hordes of shoppers on Regent Street.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • The Coburg Bar buzzes with a zappy, more visible, businesses-like energy.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
  • The surrounding area buzzes with energy during market hours.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • The 11th-hour maneuver scrambles the upcoming Democratic primary that features two Democratic state senators.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
  • This matchup scrambles Holmgren’s impact.
    Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • The historic resort town of Zakopane anchors the Polish side, while Slovakia’s High Tatras deliver mountain lakes, waterfalls and flocks of sheep among rocky crests.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
  • On the Slovakian side, the High Tatras deliver mountain lakes, waterfalls and flocks of sheep grazing among rocky crests.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • His colleague, a newly qualified environmental engineer, clambers up onto the backseat.
    Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Joe, glowering, stalks off through the crowd, clambers into his vehicle, and drives off.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Swarms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarms. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.

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