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
The loss of the mid-budget film has also been cited as one of the reasons why younger movie stars haven’t emerged in droves.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Government workers were laid off in droves.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Instagram was their only way to get the word out, but that didn’t prevent AJ and Kristina from being overwhelmed at the support of the droves of people who would show up, clamoring for pasta.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
My friends and family also have this problem — my parents especially, since their home is rather remotely located, which seems to draw missionaries in droves.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Today, the song feels like an accidentally nostalgic ode to a bygone era when Baltimore’s plentiful factory jobs and thriving nightlife lured droves of Southerners to the city.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 20 Apr. 2026
Once Schuyler’s husband started questioning the lack of return on his investment, the layoffs began in droves.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Bars and restaurants all around downtown Detroit are ready to welcome the droves of fans heading downtown to celebrate the home opener's crack of the bat and the beginning of baseball season at Comerica Park.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 2 Apr. 2026
If arriving from the south, on the way, stop in Glen Etive to experience the docile deer who will eat from your hand in their droves—a real spectacle.
—Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2026
Government workers were laid off in droves.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Instagram was their only way to get the word out, but that didn’t prevent AJ and Kristina from being overwhelmed at the support of the droves of people who would show up, clamoring for pasta.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
My friends and family also have this problem — my parents especially, since their home is rather remotely located, which seems to draw missionaries in droves.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Today, the song feels like an accidentally nostalgic ode to a bygone era when Baltimore’s plentiful factory jobs and thriving nightlife lured droves of Southerners to the city.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 20 Apr. 2026
Once Schuyler’s husband started questioning the lack of return on his investment, the layoffs began in droves.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Bars and restaurants all around downtown Detroit are ready to welcome the droves of fans heading downtown to celebrate the home opener's crack of the bat and the beginning of baseball season at Comerica Park.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 2 Apr. 2026
If arriving from the south, on the way, stop in Glen Etive to experience the docile deer who will eat from your hand in their droves—a real spectacle.
—Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for droves
Noun
-
The plane lands, surrounded by throngs of people, and out steps Hitler, followed by his posse, including Joseph Goebbels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There certainly seem to be apparitions in this music, some presence apart from the four musicians and the throngs of fans, which is intensified by the visceral collision of so many sounds.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Simple precautions such as hand washing and avoiding kissing birds can reduce the risk of infection from backyard flocks.—
Jonel Aleccia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Looking for more ways to entice flocks of birds to your yard?—
Brittany VanDerBill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s no doubt the US military would crush Iran’s swarms of tiny speed boats over time, but time is a luxury Trump doesn’t have.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Nothing can ruin a vacation like swarms of mosquitos.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When the mountain park opens for the season, their businesses attract hordes of mountain bikers.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Oldham knew the Beatles played primarily to hordes of screaming girls.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ramaswamy has been running what looks like a general election campaign, drawing impressive crowds during visits to each of Ohio’s 88 counties.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Sets from upstarts like Creepy Nuts, Pawsa, Geese and Slayyyter, along with emphatic crowds at rock heavyweights like Jack White, Turnstile and even Sombr, traded seamlessness and precision for immediacy and friction — louder, looser, more physical in ways that were best felt than watched.—
Andrea Domanick,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Droves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droves. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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