swarms 1 of 3

noun

plural of swarm
as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a swarm of tourists descends upon the island every summer

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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

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2
as in bursts
to be copiously supplied at this time of year that Mexican resort swarms with college students on spring break

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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
The government has a longstanding program to breed sterile male flies and drop swarms of them from planes to mate with wild females, causing the flies to die out. — Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 27 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 This gives it a potential role against swarms that could overwhelm defenses through sheer numbers. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 They can be launched in swarms, Allison Minor, a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CBS News. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 The Ukrainians are regularly launching swarms of drones now that number in the hundreds, compared with dozens earlier in the war, Mitrova said. — Spencer Kimball,deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026 Protesters began showing up at the set — where swarms of extras were playing protesters — and Trejo eventually began pushing back on his lines. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 As swarms of Trump supporters waited in long security lines ahead of the speech, a chorus of top Kansas Republicans rallied the crowd. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 If Fairford is any indication, one year later, the United States is still no more capable than Russia of protecting its bases against drone swarms. — Christian Caryl, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Still, Hafley’s defense swarms the Raiders and is too much to overcome. — Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Before the gaggle of girls swarms her apartment, there’s a sweet moment when Steve drops his daughter off early, and the two divorcees engage in some flirty banter over pizza prep. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 17 June 2026 On the opposite corner, a herd of schoolchildren swarms a local television reporter. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swarms
  1. throngs
  2. flocks
  3. bursts
  4. climbs
  5. hordes
  6. buzzes
  7. scrambles
  8. crowds
Noun
  • Salem is a vibrant, thriving, bustling city, attracting throngs of tourists in the autumn.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Guests of the hotel have a special opportunity to visit the villa privately, away from the throngs of tourists that visit from near and far.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of throngs
Verb
  • Curiously, the romance reader often flocks to a title despite—and not because of—relatability.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of flocks
Verb
  • In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of bursts
Verb
  • The driver pulls their van off the road so it’s parked halfway on an empty lot, runs over in black jeans and a band tee with the sleeves cut off, and climbs into the truck bed as Hollywell jokingly pulls away.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Some climbs were quick weekend getaways; others were week-long trips in the summer.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of climbs
Noun
  • The report describes aggressive tactics in which hordes of solicitors sit on the phones all day, calling people to get them to refinance.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Paris ransacked, looted, and set ablaze by hordes of rioters.
    — Ollivier Pourriol, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of hordes
Verb
  • Food and drink Throughout the day, The Bulgari Lounge buzzes with guests enjoying coffee, an afternoon aperitivo, or a post-dinner digestif.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Best Time To Visit As a lake town, Coeur d’Alene buzzes with activity in the summer months, but fall is arguably its best season.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of buzzes
Verb
  • Inflation is through the roof as the regime scrambles to print more money.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The naturally recurring warming of tropical Pacific waters scrambles rainfall patterns worldwide and often brings wetter springs to the Southern Hemisphere.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrambles
Noun
  • In his view, the peaceful crowds that greeted Machado on Sunday undermined arguments that her return would necessarily provoke unrest.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Following Jonas’s post, crowds at Whiskey Myers concerts have skewed younger.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of crowds

Browse Nearby Words

swarming
swarms
swart
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Cite this Entry

“Swarms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarms. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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