mob 1 of 2

noun

ˈmäb How to pronounce mob (audio)
Definition of mobnext
1
as in crowd
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a mob of pigeons soon flocked around us after they spied the bread crumbs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in Mafia
a group involved in secret or criminal activities the club owner was accused of having connections with a mob of racketeers

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in populace
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite political speeches designed to appeal to the mob

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

mob

2 of 2

verb

as in to flock
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers the snack bar was mobbed as soon as the meeting was over

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun mob differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mob are crowd, crush, horde, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Where would crowd be a reasonable alternative to mob?

While the synonyms crowd and mob are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

In what contexts can crush take the place of mob?

The words crush and mob are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

How do throng and horde relate to one another, in the sense of mob?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

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 mob
Noun
To little avail, as Tesla stock dropped and mobs have set fire to cars in dealer lots. — Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Mar. 2025 In Gilead and real life, when everything is stripped away from a group of people, even their names in the case of the Handmaids, the result is a dangerous mob with nothing to lose. — Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
When his victory was confirmed, Hendrickson fell to his back in disbelief as he was mobbed by his coaching staff while Steveson rested on his knees in amazement. — Ben Morse, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025 Henry, the legendary former Arsenal and France forward turned CBS soccer analyst, was mobbed by jubilant Panama players at his pitchside desk at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles after Cecilio Waterman struck the only goal of Thursday’s first semifinal deep into injury time. — Martin Rogers, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mob
  1. crowd
  2. Mafia
  3. populace
  4. flock
  5. throng
  6. gang
  7. public
  8. swarm
Noun
  • Footage of the building’s demise shows crowds of onlookers running away from the rubble in panic.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 28 Mar. 2025
  • To keep afloat, Arsenal had to qualify for the Champions League three times during that five years and attract a regular crowd of at least 54,000 in their new 60,000 stadium.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of crowd
Noun
  • The quarter rotisserie meal at Saucy Chick Goat Mafia in Pasadena.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Parents can have some fun of their own with sets from ’80s pop-rock icons the Go-Go’s, Portishead singer Beth Gibbons, hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, and German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk.
    — Justin Curto, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of Mafia
Noun
  • In contrast to the anti-immigrant rhetoric emanating from the White House, the survey of 800 California voters portrays a populace that values the contributions of immigrants, regardless of legal status, and believes their well-being is intertwined with a well-functioning state.
    — Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Their exodus leaves behind a populace that, like in the Weimar Republic, dismisses each authoritarian advance as temporary, necessary—or even more astonishing, somehow contained.
    — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of populace
Verb
  • So many players have flocked to the internet because what happened on Sunday was historic.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
  • With playing conditions tenable for baseball, fans in pinstripes flocked to Yankee Stadium and filled out the ballpark.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2025
Definition of flock
Noun
  • Last night, a throng many tens of thousands deeper saw Armstrong and his main band fulfill their destiny as the holders of rock’s eternal flame.
    — Jeff Miller, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Earlier this February, at CPAC’s annual gathering, Elon Musk walked onstage to a cheering throng of young admirers and was presented with a chainsaw by Argentine president Javier Milei for his efforts with DOGE.
    — Jeffrey Blehar, National Review, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of throng
Noun
  • The administration have since claimed that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang.
    — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is also weighing another case against a Maryland man deported by mistake that could shed light on the fate of more than 100 men accused of being gang members who have already been sent to prison in El Salvador.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of gang
Noun
  • In Weill’s opinion, composers educated in the classical tradition had lost touch with the broader public and sunk into obscurantism.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Given the isolationist tendencies of the U.S. public and Congress in the pre-war years—best exemplified by passage of the neutrality laws in the mid 1930s—Roosevelt’s ability to counter the economic autarky and expansionist aims of fascist Germany, Italy, and Japan was severely limited.
    — Time, Time, 12 Apr. 2025
Definition of public
Noun
  • Especially in the spring, when young dancers at the peak of their health, promise, and physical strength swarm rehearsal studios for Broadway Bares.
    — Mark Harris, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Once a new location has been identified, the swarm will move on to settle into their permanent colony.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of swarm

Browse Nearby Words

moats
mob
mobbed
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Cite this Entry

“Mob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mob. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mob

Nglish: Translation of mob for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mob

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