throng 1 of 2

throng

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verb

as in to flock
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers fans thronged the field to celebrate the win

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun throng differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of throng are crowd, crush, horde, and mob. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

When might crowd be a better fit than throng?

While in some cases nearly identical to throng, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When can crush be used instead of throng?

The synonyms crush and throng are sometimes interchangeable, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

Where would mob be a reasonable alternative to throng?

The words mob and throng are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

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 throng
Noun
The other day, amid throngs of schoolkids, a septuagenarian woman with a puff of gray hair, in a black turtleneck and pearl earrings, stepped into the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 9 June 2025 However, as the number of contracts rises and the throng of new retail traders speculating with options grows, so does the failure to understand the risks involved. Michael Martin, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Verb
Protesters thronged the streets, banging pots and pans. Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 10 May 2025 The chapel was thronged that day, too, though many of the visitors were not there just for artistic appreciation. Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for throng
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throng
Noun
  • Major matchups featuring top draft picks like Cooper Flagg might draw a more partisan crowd, but the rest of the tournament is made for milling about.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • Jordynne Grace Blake Monroe cornered Jordynne Grace, who was a very popular with the Atlanta crowd.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Celebrity tans are approaching early-aughts amber, and if dermatologists’ observations and social media are any indication, teens are flocking to the beach in pursuit of scorching burns.
    Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 19 July 2025
  • Avid viewers flocked to the comments section of an Instagram post shared by HGTV on Thursday, July 3, to express their disappointment in the network’s decision to discontinue several top shows.
    Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • The floor is peppered with spare knee pads and helmets, and a swarm of roller derby players outfitted in protective armor congregate in the center of the warehouse.
    Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
  • If a task can be performed in more than one way by equal peers working together—much in the way an ant colony or swarm of bees works—then the system is resistant to censorship and hardware faults and has service continuity due to economic sustainability.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • Forty-four years ago today, people who were already afraid of cities got the scare of their lives with the release of Escape From New York, John Carpenter's carceral fantasy starring an eyepatch-wearing Kurt Russell doing battle against anarchic hordes in a chaotic urban environment.
    Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 10 July 2025
  • Now, the bulldozer is coming for the fortress-like Shops at Sunset Place, 5701 Sunset Dr., which in its heyday had a giant Virgin music store that drew celebrity visits, hordes of IMAX moviegoers, and customers swarming the stores day and night.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Throng.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throng. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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