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
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
In March, the company said its Bahraini data center had been damaged after Iran sent swarms of drones in the region.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
The annual flooding of the Nile River regularly destroyed beehives, and the generation of fresh swarms of bees was an agricultural necessity.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
The swarms over Barksdale suggest how high the price could be.
—Brynn Tannehill, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Bee swarms are a natural process in which a large group of bees leaves an existing hive to start a new colony, according to Iowa State University.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Iran has wreaked havoc on military bases, tourist centers and data centers used by America’s largest tech giants with swarms of low-cost Shahed drones that cost between $20,000 and $50,000, according to public estimates.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
This is a step toward being able to deploy swarms of aerial robots, much like groups of bats, to explore hazardous environments and search for survivors.
—Nitin Sanket, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Kyiv has created a layered defense against Russian drone swarms.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
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
In effect, this would see Japan sending swarms of cheap drones first during a strike.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
In March, the company said its Bahraini data center had been damaged after Iran sent swarms of drones in the region.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
The annual flooding of the Nile River regularly destroyed beehives, and the generation of fresh swarms of bees was an agricultural necessity.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
The swarms over Barksdale suggest how high the price could be.
—Brynn Tannehill, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Bee swarms are a natural process in which a large group of bees leaves an existing hive to start a new colony, according to Iowa State University.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Iran has wreaked havoc on military bases, tourist centers and data centers used by America’s largest tech giants with swarms of low-cost Shahed drones that cost between $20,000 and $50,000, according to public estimates.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
This is a step toward being able to deploy swarms of aerial robots, much like groups of bats, to explore hazardous environments and search for survivors.
—Nitin Sanket, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Kyiv has created a layered defense against Russian drone swarms.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
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
-
Vast plazas are missing the typical throngs of faithful and tourists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Two small tents shaded those who got there earliest, leaving throngs of fans — the rest of us — to bake in the sun as security locked our phones in pouches.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And since the album came out, hordes of fans have turned into armchair investigators, trying to assess which songs may contain AI.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
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Us senior surfers need to stick together to hold off the hordes of nasty agro kidbots that are violently intent on world domination and the spread of nuclear surf rabies and mad Red Bull disease.—
Corky Carroll,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The movie considered what would happen if flocks of birds, animals that linger in the background of many of our daily lives, suddenly rose up and attacked a small coastal town in California.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
But farmers have been rapidly replenishing flocks that died or had to be destroyed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For one, Father Matijevic said Pope Leo, the first American pope, and a Chicago native, is drawing crowds.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Those tactics led to backlash from local Black leaders, who said police went too far in dealing with crowds of mostly Black young people.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swarms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarms. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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