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

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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 In the post–Cold War era, the United States has perfected the art of airpower—winning control of the skies so that enemy armies, navies, and territory can be bombed at will—to a degree that no country or even alliance of countries has matched. — Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026 Russia and Ukraine have been waging a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line. — Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 The dispute deepens a rift between the two countries whose armies fought together against the TPLF during the 2020-2022 war. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 Russia and Ukraine are locked in a long-range aerial war while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line, more than 4 1/2 years since Moscow's full-scale invasion. — CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026 Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a long-range aerial war as their armies remain largely deadlocked on the battlefield, more than 4 ½ years after Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbor. — NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026 Muslim armies had invaded from North Africa in the 700s, and Muslim rulers eventually governed much of the peninsula. — Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026 Since then, the two armies settled in and the frontline has moved only incrementally, mostly with limited gains by Russia. — Greg Myre, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for armies
  1. battalions
  2. swarms
  3. teams
  4. legions
  5. hordes
  6. platoons
  7. troops
  8. throngs
Noun
  • Nor could Grossman write about collaborators or the punishment battalions composed of convicts that were used as cannon fodder (one of many parallels between the conduct of the Soviet army and the present-day Russian military in Ukraine).
    — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of battalions
Noun
  • The astronauts were also on the lookout for swarms of lunar dust.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Already that has included key battlefield support for Iran – and lessons of drone and missile swarms learned from Russia’s experience in Ukraine – in exchange for Russia’s use of Iran’s game-changing Shahed drones.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of swarms
Noun
  • So instead of making teams whole each time, the NFL now just pays teams’ travel expenses for their international game under the rationale that every team will lose a home game—and, in turn, home game ticket revenue—during that time.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • More offices reported investments in luxury assets, from watches, fine jewelry, art and spirits to sports teams and music rights.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of teams
Noun
  • The once-ubiquitous men’s accessory of yesteryear has found new legions of fans among stylish youngsters and luxury brands in recent seasons.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • No other group’s presence is as pronounced as the K-pop stars’, whose legions of fans are hard to miss online and outside venues.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of legions
Noun
  • More mature than the party hordes that roam this part of town, the vibe here is the casual elegance that blends drinking rum out of a pineapple while retaining your sophistication while doing it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Their backing attracted hordes of counterrevolutionaries and Mubarak loyalists.
    — Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of hordes
Noun
  • Its battery-electric vehicles propel themselves rather than relying on a conventional locomotive, and can operate individually or form coordinated groups, known as platoons.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The welcome ceremony also included a flyover by two B-1 bombers, platoons from each military service, and a presentation of the flags and anthems of both countries.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of platoons
Noun
  • Rather than sending troops into Yemen, the Saudis will likely launch airstrikes against the Houthis and ramp up support of nationalist forces, several analysts said.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Saudis countered with an air campaign and ground force composed of Yemeni pro-government paramilitary factions, Saudi and Emirati troops and mercenaries.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of troops
Noun
  • Leo's visit to Paris came as a birthday present for Jean-Claude Farnabe, who turned 63 on Saturday and spent the morning securing a spot amid the throngs of people.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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 21 Oct. 2026.

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