armies

noun

plural of army
1
as in battalions
a large body of men and women organized for land warfare In 218 b.c., Hannibal crossed the Alps with an army of 26,000 men and, most famously, a number of elephants

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in swarms
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a vast army of loyal fans in line for the band's farewell concert

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in teams
a group of people working together on a task an army of rescue workers descended on the tornado-stricken town

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 armies Big Ridley commands armies of extras, builds enormous sets and deploys cutting-edge visual effects to create places that no longer exist — or never did. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 And because intelligence exists in isolated fragments across different systems, companies end up deploying armies of employees whose primary, manual job is just interpretation. — Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Both sides, weakened by adverse conditions, had armies of nearly equal strength. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 The inferno that follows, as the betrayer’s dragon sets fire to both armies and then Tumbleton itself, will be rendered with both practical flames and CGI. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 Flying over the battle, Ulf directs Silverwing's fire on both armies seemingly indiscriminately. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 Stitch together creatures to build an army of land, sea and sky monsters and compete with your family to defeat the dangerous armies of incoming babies. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 Over the centuries, the church has been dismantled and reassembled several times, while managing to survive invading armies and the Bolshevik Revolution. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Sauron’s armies have marched across the whole of the world, conquering all in their path. — ArsTechnica, 25 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for armies
  1. battalions
  2. swarms
  3. teams
  4. legions
  5. hordes
  6. platoons
  7. troops
  8. throngs
Noun
  • In northern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, Russian forces are reportedly disbanding some tank battalions and reallocating younger servicemembers to drone units, while assigning other personnel to assault units.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Originally constructed in the 1860s to house two battalions of the British Army, Chelsea Barracks served as an important military base for more than 140 years before being decommissioned in 2008.
    — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of battalions
Noun
  • Adversaries may soon be able to fly drones in coordinated swarms using AI, effectively overwhelming any defenses.
    — Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Nightly swarms of drones closed Russian airports, struck oil refineries or set ablaze the warehouses of retail giants Wildberries and Ozon.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of swarms
Noun
  • There remain a lot of games on that schedule against teams with far more talent.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The decision to leave off Camden Brown comes down to who can actually contribute on special teams.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of teams
Noun
  • Speaking through tears on stage at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday night, Grande expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her legions of fans.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • However, in the over 40 years since its release, the movie has found legions of fans, in part thanks to its release on home video, through TV broadcasts and, later, streaming services.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of legions
Noun
  • Chino Hills State Park is almost never crowded, except during a spring super bloom, when the hillsides erupt in California poppies and hordes of would-be influencers arrive to take photos for Instagram.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Since it was designated the first national recreation area in 1964, hordes of visitors have cut Lake Mead’s glassy surface with jet skis and boats, carelessly dropping belongings that may now wash up on shore.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of hordes
Noun
  • The Phillies will run outfield platoons in left and center for the remainder of the season.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Multiple schools across three states will soon have their own veritable platoons of pepper-spraying drones to hunt down active shooters, The Washington Post reports, waiting to spring into action the moment they’re called on.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 30 July 2026
Definition of platoons
Noun
  • And the United States has already used up many critical munitions and strained its troops in the region by keeping the war going.
    — JAMES F. JEFFREY, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Government troops patrolled the streets, ambulances rushed to the victims, and residents ventured out assessing damage and clearing out bloodied clothes from the pavement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of troops
Noun
  • The cows made their way to the altar — with the handlers helping to guide them with hay — through throngs of people and a few mascots sitting in seats and lined up on the streets, who stopped by just to see the unique occasion.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The rooms proved to be catnip for selfie-seekers and a financial boon to museums and galleries, which could dependably rely on them to draw throngs of visitors eager to line up for a chance at a few seconds alone in one of them.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of throngs

Browse Nearby Words

armholes
armies
arming
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Cite this Entry

“Armies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/armies. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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