horde

as in swarm
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a horde of mosquitoes hordes of tourists from the cruise ship crowded the shops and cafes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun horde differ from other similar words?

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

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

When is it sensible to use crowd instead of horde?

The synonyms crowd and horde are sometimes interchangeable, but crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When might crush be a better fit than horde?

The words crush and horde can be used in similar contexts, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When can mob be used instead of horde?

The meanings of mob and horde largely overlap; however, 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 horde With millions of loyal social media followers and hordes of zealous fans, these celebs are master communicators. Jane Hanson, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 And with a master plan mapped out for the next 30 years, now is the time to go, before the hordes descend. Ryan Krogh, Outside Online, 24 Jan. 2025 Instead, my eyes were trained on the hordes of the city’s residents carrying umbrellas and wearing gloves… on one of the sunniest days of the summer. Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 14 Jan. 2025 Iconic Motorbike Auctions Honda almost always achieves its goals, with the one notable exception being its failure to beat the two-stroke hordes with a four-stroke in Grand Prix racing. Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for horde 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horde
Noun
  • The swarm is the most significant since the sleeping giant last erupted in 2014.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • In addition to large-scale data theft, economic disruption, and intelligence breaches, quantum computers could be used for malicious purposes such as simulating and synthesizing chemical weapons or optimizing the flight trajectories of a swarm of drones.
    Charina Chou, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • All manners of gifts are passed up to them from the throng of people in front of their podiums.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025
  • The video included voiceover of Payne alongside clips of him on stage and waving to throngs of excited fans.
    Lauren Huff, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • With Philly fans in town, that just might be literal: the Big Easy might have to count their Romeo catchers when big game crowds go home.
    Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2025
  • Playing at Tsongas Center on the campus of UMass Lowell, the Boston Fleet drew a sellout crowd of 5,912 for their last home game before the break on Jan. 31, and have seen their average attendance rise by about 400 fans this season, to just over 4,000.
    Carol Schram, Forbes, 8 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Of those, 103 were commercial flocks, while the remaining were backyard flocks.
    Rebekah Riess, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Later, a flock of storks came wheeling in high on the thermals, and the camp gathered to watch.
    Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Also starring Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets), Luis Guzmán (Wednesday), and Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Guns Up follows Ray Hayes (James), an ex-cop and devoted husband and father who leads a dangerous double life as a mob henchman.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The reason why a small army of goons has suddenly reappeared in his life is Rose (Ariana DeBose, another Oscar winner), a former mob lawyer who worked for Marvin’s kingpin brother, Alvin a.k.a.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near horde

Cite this Entry

“Horde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horde. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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