as in flood
a large group of animals or people moving together in a quick and disordered way
During the morning rush hour, the coffee shop gets hit with a stampede of customers.
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as in to dart
to move together in a quick and disordered manner and usually in a large group
At the sound of the lunch bell, all five hundred students in the building stampeded toward the cafeteria.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stampede
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
This time courtesy of star OLB Bonitto, who screamed off the edge, swatted away a Mariota pass on a game-winning two-point conversion attempt, and led a victory stampede of Broncos across the turf at Northwest Stadium.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 8 Nov. 2025
After Grande is seen walking down an aisle, the event appears to be disrupted by a group of stampeding animals.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stampede
Noun
Who were the victims of the City College stampede?
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
This time courtesy of star OLB Bonitto, who screamed off the edge, swatted away a Mariota pass on a game-winning two-point conversion attempt, and led a victory stampede of Broncos across the turf at Northwest Stadium.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
Three-star 2026 Minnesota commit Jett Walker stampeded over the Timberwolves defense, scoring on each of the Eagles' first three offensive drives.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 8 Nov. 2025
After Grande is seen walking down an aisle, the event appears to be disrupted by a group of stampeding animals.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stampede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stampede
Noun
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During heavy rainfall, there is a risk of flooding, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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The New Colgate Powerhouse went online in 1969 as part of the New Bullards Bar project, a multipurpose hydroelectric and flood control system built for Yuba County after the devastating Christmas flood of 1955.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Schools of fish drifted one above the other in a shifting, shimmering mesh, as neon-bright parrotfish, damselfish, and Moorish idols darted by.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
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Commercial airplanes dart by, but one chartered flight sits parked away from the gates, a set of stairs pulled up to its open door.—
Kat Lonsdorf,
NPR,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As for the winner, Arsenal supporters, and not just Liverpool fans, will wonder why Alisson had a rush of blood that led to him bringing down Matheus Nunes in stoppage time and Haaland, showing nerves of steel, converting from the spot.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The 28-year-old quarterback started slowly, completing only six of his first 17 pass attempts against a ferocious Patriots pass rush.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps that jogs their memory?—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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Some of these shows will jog your memory, others will be discoveries.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As the episodes rolled out, Underwood started receiving a torrent of online bullying.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
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So long as Baldwin stayed healthy — perhaps an assumption Anthopoulos has no interest in making after last year’s torrent of injuries — a backup catcher might not play much in the team’s first 45 or so games.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That is, this new drug lowers the mother's blood pressure while also improving blood flow to the womb at a time when the baby appears to need it.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
14 Feb. 2026
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The broken sheets of ice flow downstream until they get stuck at narrow points, sharp bends, or bridges.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stampede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stampede. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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