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
Relevance
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
Sylvain Barbot,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
But for some reason the powers that be have decreed artificial intelligence a civilizational imperative, requiring the hurried construction of swarms of data centers, on Earth and in space.
—
Mark Gongloff,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
This focus shows that military planners are increasingly worried about drone swarms, which can overwhelm defenses by sheer numbers.
—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
The prototype rover is part of the German Space Agency's VaMEx (Valles Marineris Explorer) program, which is an initiative aimed at developing swarms of driving, walking and flying robots designed to explore Mars' vast Valles Marineris valley.
—
New Atlas,
22 June 2026
But for now, the booby seems healthy and pretty much unbothered by the swarms of people paying it a visit — one of whom is Amy Gobbini, who briefly stopped from her nearby workplace to snag a picture on her phone.
—
Sophie Lindberg,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Well, never — but especially not hours before more people than the population of Coral Gables swarms toward the stadium across the street for a World Cup game.
—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Producer Greer Simpkin noted that the swarms of flies visible throughout required no visual effects – the location was so badly infested that cast and crew regularly swallowed them during takes.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
With reddish-brown bodies, fire ants travel in swarms and build large colonies deep underground.
—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
17 June 2026
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
Noun
There are anecdotal cases of seismic swarms before a large rupture that, in hindsight, could have provided some clues to possibly detect early signs of future large ruptures.
—
Sylvain Barbot,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
But for some reason the powers that be have decreed artificial intelligence a civilizational imperative, requiring the hurried construction of swarms of data centers, on Earth and in space.
—
Mark Gongloff,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
This focus shows that military planners are increasingly worried about drone swarms, which can overwhelm defenses by sheer numbers.
—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
The prototype rover is part of the German Space Agency's VaMEx (Valles Marineris Explorer) program, which is an initiative aimed at developing swarms of driving, walking and flying robots designed to explore Mars' vast Valles Marineris valley.
—
New Atlas,
22 June 2026
But for now, the booby seems healthy and pretty much unbothered by the swarms of people paying it a visit — one of whom is Amy Gobbini, who briefly stopped from her nearby workplace to snag a picture on her phone.
—
Sophie Lindberg,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Well, never — but especially not hours before more people than the population of Coral Gables swarms toward the stadium across the street for a World Cup game.
—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Producer Greer Simpkin noted that the swarms of flies visible throughout required no visual effects – the location was so badly infested that cast and crew regularly swallowed them during takes.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
With reddish-brown bodies, fire ants travel in swarms and build large colonies deep underground.
—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
17 June 2026
Verb
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
Noun
-
With their billowing sails, teakwood decks and mazes of ropes and rigging, ships like Eagle draw throngs of visitors hoping to get a glimpse of the past.
-
The throngs of teenagers doing back flips into the Canal Saint-Martin and playing soccer in the street set the mood for the week.
Verb
-
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.
-
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.
Verb
-
Long before the sun climbs high, a boat eases into the waters of Lake Maumelle.
-
Matt Damon climbs into a Trojan horse for a bit filmed for Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Noun
-
For the avid gardener in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC, stepping out the front door in the summer meant being assaulted by hordes of those flying hypodermic needles, ready to bore into her skin and leave itchy welts – and sometimes serious infections like malaria or Zika – behind.
-
Kai Cenat's Streamer University program went awry after hordes of people crowded an audition site in Atlanta, Georgia, leading to several arrests, according to police.
Verb
-
Every once in a while, a player buzzes in with an answer that truly catches fans off-guard.
-
So when something goes on in markets that inspires exuberance or fear, my phone buzzes.
Verb
-
Latest updates Anthropic is racing to increase its AI compute capacity in the Asia-Pacific region, as the company scrambles to keep up with soaring demand for its products.
-
The best options include high-fiber smoothies, Greek yogurt with berries and nuts, and egg scrambles with vegetables.
Noun
-
Birders seek out flocks attracted to the park during the migration seasons.
-
The same strain has forced record culls and pushed up egg prices across North America and Europe, and Australian flocks have no exposure to it.
Verb
-
His colleague, a newly qualified environmental engineer, clambers up onto the backseat.
-
Joe, glowering, stalks off through the crowd, clambers into his vehicle, and drives off.
Cite this Entry
“Swarms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarms. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
