1
as in throngs
a great number of persons or creatures massed together
a mob of pigeons soon flocked around us after they spied the bread crumbs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in gangs
a group involved in secret or criminal activities
the club owner was accused of having connections with a mob of racketeers
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in masses
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite
political speeches designed to appeal to the mob
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 mobs
Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
So, how to make the most of a visit without getting bogged down in mobs of tour groups and Instagrammers jostling for the iconic shot?
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026
After dinner, ranchers show off the abilities of their Border collies to muster mobs of sheep.
—New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Angry mobs burned down the offices of the prime minister and president, police stations and the homes of top politicians who were forced to flee on army helicopters.
—Binaj Gurubacharya, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Angry mobs burned down the offices of the prime minister and president, police stations and the homes of top politicians who were forced to flee on army helicopters.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Sinhalese mobs attacked Tamil homes, businesses and neighborhoods in what became known as Black July – days of violence orchestrated by the government that killed thousands of Tamils and displaced many more.
—Eranda Jayawickreme, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Several of King's marches were attacked by White mobs, but LaFayette and Young challenged the notion that the Chicago movement was a failure.
—CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
But the arrangement also meant tiny villages in the Alps weren't totally overrun with mobs of people.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
Noun
Just days earlier, mobs of young street racers swarmed a Georgia intersection in the middle of the night, wreaking havoc and disturbing neighbors.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
So, how to make the most of a visit without getting bogged down in mobs of tour groups and Instagrammers jostling for the iconic shot?
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2026
After dinner, ranchers show off the abilities of their Border collies to muster mobs of sheep.
—New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Angry mobs burned down the offices of the prime minister and president, police stations and the homes of top politicians who were forced to flee on army helicopters.
—Binaj Gurubacharya, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Angry mobs burned down the offices of the prime minister and president, police stations and the homes of top politicians who were forced to flee on army helicopters.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Sinhalese mobs attacked Tamil homes, businesses and neighborhoods in what became known as Black July – days of violence orchestrated by the government that killed thousands of Tamils and displaced many more.
—Eranda Jayawickreme, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Several of King's marches were attacked by White mobs, but LaFayette and Young challenged the notion that the Chicago movement was a failure.
—CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
But the arrangement also meant tiny villages in the Alps weren't totally overrun with mobs of people.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mobs
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
-
The designation has since been renewed multiple times as the country faces a host of crises, including widespread violence by armed gangs, food insecurity, displacement and a leadership vacuum after the president was assassinated in 2021.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Schoeman van Jaarsveld dedicated his life to protecting rhinos from poaching gangs in South Africa.—
Ryan Brennan
April 27,
Miami Herald,
27 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
-
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
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
-
As with other criminal syndicates, the cartel has long oiled the gears of corruption with bribes.—
Steve Fisher,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Greg began creating and submitting comic strip ideas to syndicates, collecting an impressive pile of rejection slips.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 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
-
However, the ruthless King Saran (Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor) has suppressed magic users and enacts a rule of terror, which Zelie hopes to end in order to reunite Orisha’s clans.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
After fighting to find their way back to one another, Henry and Julia were at the standing stones of Craig Na Dun, hoping to return to their own time, and Brian and Ellen’s romantic escape was interrupted as the 1715 Jacobite Rising began, thrusting the clans into war.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mobs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mobs. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
