as in floods
a large group of animals or people moving together in a quick and disordered way
During the morning rush hour, the coffee shop gets hit with a stampede of customers.
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as in darts
to move together in a quick and disordered manner and usually in a large group
At the sound of the lunch bell, all five hundred students in the building stampeded toward the cafeteria.
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Recent Examples of stampedes
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
Crowds were relatively small last month, especially compared to March weekends in the years after the COVID pandemic, when thousands of young people packed Ocean Drive and the party was sullied by shootings, stampedes and curfews.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Crowding and stampedes sometimes occur in Pakistan during Ramadan, when government agencies, charities and businesses distribute food and cash to poor families.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
In that spirit, the presidency — despite policy detours, rhetorical bucking and social-media stampedes — remains a powerful instrument of national motion.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Trump should discipline his rhetoric, avoiding terms such as riots and stampedes that echo regime propaganda.
—Behnam Ben Taleblu, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026
The Saudi government has poured massive investment into redeveloping the area around holy site following a series of deadly stampedes and a crane accident that killed more than a hundred people in 2015.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
People crushed or suffocated in stampedes.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
The response underscores the intensity of the speculative mania around AI, which has fueled stampedes into would-be winners and panicked rushes away from any industry that seems poised to be hit by the competitive threat.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
Crowds were relatively small last month, especially compared to March weekends in the years after the COVID pandemic, when thousands of young people packed Ocean Drive and the party was sullied by shootings, stampedes and curfews.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Crowding and stampedes sometimes occur in Pakistan during Ramadan, when government agencies, charities and businesses distribute food and cash to poor families.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
In that spirit, the presidency — despite policy detours, rhetorical bucking and social-media stampedes — remains a powerful instrument of national motion.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Trump should discipline his rhetoric, avoiding terms such as riots and stampedes that echo regime propaganda.
—Behnam Ben Taleblu, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026
The Saudi government has poured massive investment into redeveloping the area around holy site following a series of deadly stampedes and a crane accident that killed more than a hundred people in 2015.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
People crushed or suffocated in stampedes.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stampedes
Noun
-
Haiti’s recent catastrophic floods have only compounded the country’s overlapping crises.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The camp plans to implement emergency training and drills for floods, fire and other disasters, but investigators found the lack of previous training was key in the deaths.—
Jim Vertuno,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The striker is initially in a central area but then darts to the right side.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Chef Clark Bowen keeps things interesting by incorporating Middle-Eastern influences into an ever-changing menu that darts around the globe and offers intriguing combinations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Videos shared on social media on March 25 showed lines fluctuating throughout the day, shrinking between the early morning and afternoon rushes.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Kinnard had more receptions (18) than rushes (12) last season while at Colorado State.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Castle begins the possession on All-NBA center Karl-Anthony Towns, who jogs up top to set a screen for a fellow star, Jalen Brunson.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Joel Edgerton jogs past me into a bathroom.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Spring rains and winter snowmelt have swelled rivers and lakes, forcing torrents of water through Cheboygan County communities on its way to Lake Huron.—
Sarah Brumfield,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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The silken charcoal bathrobes are a decadent touch, as are the welcome torrents of piping water that rain from monsoon showers and the wonderful organic soaps.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stampedes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stampedes. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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