as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
a swarm of tourists descends upon the island every summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of swarms
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
Subterranean, drywood and dampwood, the three most common types of termites in the United States, all have reproductive castes capable of flying in swarms.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 14 May 2026
According to Xie, the OUT-Robot – perhaps operating in swarms – offers numerous applications for oceanic protection, restoration, and recovery, as well as resource exploitation.
—New Atlas, 13 May 2026
When to Let the Bees Be Brooks often receives calls in the springtime about swarms that have arrived on somebody’s property.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026
Such swarms are commonly associated with volcanic activity, but can occur elsewhere.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
Mueller says that's where the robots come in – swarms of them.
—Kira Wakeam, NPR, 16 Dec. 2024
Drones reported to be flying in swarms The drones are moving in swarms, said New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, citing statements made by the DHS to New Jersey legislators, the Asbury Park Press reported.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
As the technology evolves, Fullerton prepares students to manage increasingly complex systems, from drone swarms to autonomous delivery fleets.
—Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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
In the 13-second video, Cynthia Erivo pulls him off the pop star before security swarms him.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Noun
Scientists have developed living microrobot swarms made from algae and nanoparticles that can assemble into custom shapes under blue light and disperse on command with red light.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
Subterranean, drywood and dampwood, the three most common types of termites in the United States, all have reproductive castes capable of flying in swarms.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 14 May 2026
According to Xie, the OUT-Robot – perhaps operating in swarms – offers numerous applications for oceanic protection, restoration, and recovery, as well as resource exploitation.
—New Atlas, 13 May 2026
When to Let the Bees Be Brooks often receives calls in the springtime about swarms that have arrived on somebody’s property.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 13 May 2026
Such swarms are commonly associated with volcanic activity, but can occur elsewhere.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026
Mueller says that's where the robots come in – swarms of them.
—Kira Wakeam, NPR, 16 Dec. 2024
Drones reported to be flying in swarms The drones are moving in swarms, said New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, citing statements made by the DHS to New Jersey legislators, the Asbury Park Press reported.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
As the technology evolves, Fullerton prepares students to manage increasingly complex systems, from drone swarms to autonomous delivery fleets.
—Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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
In the 13-second video, Cynthia Erivo pulls him off the pop star before security swarms him.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swarms
Noun
-
In general, juvenile crimes are more often committed with others, and images of roaming throngs of teens has an outsized presence in media and in the public’s amygdala.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Leo was met by throngs of cheering Italians, some of whom had been waiting since the middle of the night to greet him.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable.—
Nnamdi Onyeagwara,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.—
,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tuesday, May 19Now 15%-lit, the waxing crescent moon climbs slightly higher and is now halfway between Venus and Jupiter, above.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Among non-Sherpa climbers, the record is held by British guide Kenton Cool, who has accomplished the feat 19 times, followed by American climbers Dave Hahn and Garrett Madison, with 15 climbs each.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Mikael Granlund’s goal was an unfortunate hop, and the third goal, which was scored by Ian Moore, was a wobbling slap shot through hordes of traffic.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Through the project, hordes of people were confronted with the biases of facial recognition technology for the first time.—
Louis Bury,
ARTnews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Niantic, a village within the town of East Lyme in southeastern Connecticut, buzzes with local energy.—
Amy Thomas,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
-
An Israeli drone buzzes over a sea of debris in northern Gaza, where homes were turned into mass graves.—
Anas Baba,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Once a ship reports such an attack, the UKMTO office scrambles into action.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
-
Maxey scrambles around one screen from Oubre, but Bridges bounces off it.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The album, which of course features flocks of pigeons on the cover, boasts a tighter, fuller sound than previous releases, thanks in part to production by Kenneth Blume (Geese, Idles) and Klas Åhlund (Iggy Pop, Katy Perry).—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
-
Storms are also very structured and denser than flocks of birds.—
Marta Hill,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
His colleague, a newly qualified environmental engineer, clambers up onto the backseat.—
Sabrina Weiss,
The Dial,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Joe, glowering, stalks off through the crowd, clambers into his vehicle, and drives off.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Swarms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarms. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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