Thesaurus results for HORDE

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

horde

noun

ˈhȯrd

Definition of 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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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 For the past couple of months, the Editorial Board and a veritable horde of guest columnists have been fixated on the mayor and his stance on Israel. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026 The night before, amid the horde at the opening of Thaddaeus Ropac’s Georg Baselitz show, actor Damian Lewis was sizing up the big canvases. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 More mature than the party hordes that roam this part of town, the vibe here is the casual elegance that blends drinking rum out of a pineapple while retaining your sophistication while doing it. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026 The twentieth century industrialized advisory through hordes of ambitious young graduates and an apprenticeship model that allowed advice to be sold by those with much less viabexperience. — Albert Mikkelsen, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for horde

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horde

Noun

There are a swarm of startups looking to use the technology to transform entertainment, but Anthropic, unlike SpaceX and OpenAI, has never spent resources on video or image models.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
In the early eighteenth century, the village of Gais started attracting swarms of visitors, many from abroad, who wanted to sample Gaisschottenkur, a treatment featuring goat’s whey.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of swarm

Noun

As for the happy throng of guests, the dress code was wide open to interpretation, from paillettes to pink marabou.

— Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Outside, a throng of revelers were waiting to navigate the same journey as Williams, McRae, and their respective entourages.

— Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of throng

Noun

Tim Buchanan, a legendary Aledo football head coach and Republican, also addressed Hinojosa’s roughly 250-person crowd Tuesday night.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2026
The fall shift to standard time already brings dozens more cars to the drive-in through December, and making the change permanent could help accommodate bigger crowds year-round.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of crowd

Noun

The pastor has either abandoned his aging flock or has been murdered, possibly by his wife, Hermana Romie (Evelina Fernández).

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
November 3 will undoubtedly mark a turning point not just for this new flock of Democrats hoping to descend on Washington in January, but also for a White House that has sought to alter the fabric of the country and its relationship with the world.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of flock

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“Horde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horde. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of horde

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