1
as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
people flocked to the annual festival in droves
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Recent Examples of droves
Join the droves of Amazon shoppers buying cozy Hanes sweatshirts while popular pieces are going for $15 or less.
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Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Korea, after all, is where the term originated, and droves of K-beauty products are formulated specifically to achieve ultimate clarity, bounciness, and light-reflecting dewiness.
—Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 5 Jan. 2026
America’s fiscal trajectory, namely its debt burden, has been a growing concern for the likes of JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, as well as droves of economists and Wall Street analysts.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Although both groups enjoyed only marginal support in the golden years of the Republic, the crisis of the early 1930s led droves of disillusioned voters into the arms of these parties offering radical solutions.
—Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Debates have raged in the busy industry program, standby ticket queues have snaked outside venues for the hottest premieres and the stars — in their droves — have been out in force and on major charm offensives, with distributors using the fest to launch both awards and release campaigns.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
The word spread like wildfire across social media, sending droves of Swifties to her website.
—Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025
Raliegh led early in voting until droves of Judge votes poured in.
—Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
So, preemptively snagging a set of luggage straps will work double duty to keep your bag shut tightly while setting it apart from the droves of lookalike checked suitcases.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for droves
Noun
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Shooting scene becomes site of vigil Hours after the shooting, throngs of neighbors gathered at a vigil near the scene to remember Good and express their outrage at her killing.—
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In its early years, the mall hosted a variety of celebrities and entertainment, from walk-around cartoon characters for throngs of exuberant kids to a visit from Chicago radio icon Dick Biondi for autographs.—
Noun
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To prevent their flocks from contracting bird flu, officials suggest poultry owners keep their animals away from wild and migratory birds, isolate animals with signs of illness, disinfect equipment and other items, and limit the flock's contact with people.—
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Recent outbreaks were documented at poultry farms and backyard flocks in states including Arkansas, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska and New York, affecting more than 128,000 birds combined.—
Noun
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The 236-foot former drug-runner ship Hilma Hooker offers one of the most impressive wreck dives in the region, though the vertical walls at The Cliff, vibrant reefs at Sweet Dreams, and swarms of sealife at Salt Pier are just as unforgettable.—
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The system uses several 50 kW industrial laser units to create a single powerful beam that kills drone swarms, cruise missiles, and fast-moving threats from a long distance.—
Noun
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Theme parks use hordes of performers to bring their worlds to life.—
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But the number of Oscar voters in town explodes each year once the fest kicks off, as hordes of actors, directors, writers, songwriters, executives, publicists and others descend on the city, which normally has a population of less than 45,000.—
Noun
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As the confrontation escalated, agents deployed a flash-bang device while crowds threw bricks and paint cans from rooftops.—
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Zion National Park is stunning and peaceful in winter, with fewer crowds and rare access to scenic drives by personal vehicle.—
Cite this Entry
“Droves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droves. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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