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throng

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verb

as in to flock
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers fans thronged the field to celebrate the win

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun throng differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of throng are crowd, crush, horde, and mob. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

When might crowd be a better fit than throng?

While in some cases nearly identical to throng, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When can crush be used instead of throng?

The synonyms crush and throng are sometimes interchangeable, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

Where would mob be a reasonable alternative to throng?

The words mob and throng are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Examples 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 throng
Noun
The estate, built during the first Gilded Age, regularly draws throngs of visitors. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024 Two hours in the club is nothing, as evidenced by a throng of people on the floor dancing to the house music after the lights came up. Jeremy D. Larson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2024
Verb
The venue, a downtown Manhattan club on a side street thronged with everyone from movie stars to wannabes hoping to gain entry to the party that was still raging at 3 a.m., had been at capacity since midnight. Amy Dubois Barnett, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024 The millions of Iranians who thronged Rouhani’s rowdy campaign rallies, who reveled in the streets after he was elected, and who celebrated the nuclear deal are watching and waiting. Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 27 Nov. 2013 See all Example Sentences for throng 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throng
Noun
  • Donald Trump is often criticized for misleading claims about the size of his rally crowds, greatly inflating the numbers of his supporters despite clear evidence to show otherwise.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Flashback: Election Central used to draw a crowd of the general public, from high school classes and youth groups to political junkies, activists and professional consultants, all standing shoulder-to-shoulder with officials ready to take a victory lap with an entourage of supporters.
    Andrew Keatts, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • For more than 170 years, United States voters have flocked to the polls on the first Tuesday in November to cast their ballots.
    Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Reagan’s conservative brand of politics appealed to the scores of Floridians who recently flocked to the state and had no ancestral connection to the Democratic Party.
    Allison Mashell Mitchell / Made by History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Getting things in shipshape The story begins with Mario and Luigi going about their day, when Luigi provokes a swarm of bees.
    Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The next swarm is expected to occur in November 2025, Cooke said.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • On Friday, Trump’s horde fell by an extraordinary 39 electoral votes, lowering his total to 270 (the number needed to win), against 268 for Harris.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2024
  • For scholars such as Michael Rogin, hordes of giant insects represented communism.
    Salama Udaipurwala, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near throng

Cite this Entry

“Throng.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throng. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on throng

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