HERDS Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

herds 1 of 2

noun

plural of herd

as in flocks

a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together the great herds of cattle that cowboys once drove across the plains

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in masses

the body of the community as contrasted with the elite aspire to achieve something, to distinguish yourself from the herd

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in swarms

a great number of persons or things massed together gearing up for the herd of holiday shoppers at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving

Synonyms & Similar Words

herds

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of herd

as in drives

to urge, push, or force onward the guards briskly herded us through the museum in order to prevent overcrowding

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 herds

Noun

Driving sheep herds into Palestinian communities Mordehai Minster, who cofounded a sheep farm in the West Bank, is a new type of Israeli settler. — Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026 Serious safari-goers can also take day trips to Hwange National Park to see the endangered wild dog, and to Chobe National Park with its massive elephant herds across the border in Botswana. — Charukesi Ramadurai, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026 Like so much in our fractious public discourse these days, the Inland Empire’s mysterious wild donkey herds are sparking fierce, sometimes scary debate. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 Elephants can be extremely destructive and dangerous, and several African countries must confront the problem of elephant herds destroying farmers' crops and infrastructure as well as killing or injuring people. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026 There is now little doubt that minimizing the damage from climate will require phasing down fossil fuels and reducing livestock herds. — Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026 The wars caused massive destruction of religious and civic buildings, mills and mines, housing, crops, herds and transport infrastructure, damaging prosperity and forcing some people to move or starve. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 Long winters can also devastate deer herds by pushing a deer’s fat stores to its limits, as landowners and managers saw after the winter of 2022 to 2023. — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026 Will Harris, a fourth-generation cattle farmer and owner of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia, told Fox News Digital that years of financial pressure have contributed to farmers reducing their herds. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Verb

Deep within the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026 Max tells him to put it down, releasing Zack in exchange, then picks up the gun himself, herds all four Bowdens into the kitchen, and makes Natalie bind her parents' wrists with plastic restraints. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026 The father gently herds his family toward her glass booth. — Joseph Trinidad, Longreads, 16 June 2026 However, one quick look at what companies like Boston Dynamics has achieved with robots like the rather creepy dog-like ‘Spot,’ who herds sheep in New Zealand, and the possibilities seem endless. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for herds

Noun

Infected flocks are quarantined, and usually the birds are destroyed.

— Allison Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
The pinkish-gray sky began to reveal flocks of ducks heading out to feed.

— Kody Lostroh, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of flocks

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

Verb

The ability for employees to find the best opportunities for themselves and for employers to find the best candidates for the job help to drive innovation, which drives productivity, which drives growth, Richardson has said.

— Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Oscar drives her home and, paralyzed by the situation, leaves her unconscious at her family’s door.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of drives

Noun

One year after its opening, The Louis, its Shanghai megastore shaped like a cruise ship, continues to draw crowds.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Trump has largely steered clear of political battlegrounds in his travels so far, focusing on red states and friendly crowds at a moment when Republicans worry that his unpopularity could drag down the party.

— Sagar Meghani, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of crowds

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

Noun

Even more consequentially, some jihadi groups turned Muslim publics against them by mistreating Muslim civilians.

— Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
Energy buyers in Asia and Europe, the US military, Arab publics, global investors, universities, football, and mediation partners from Tehran to the Taliban all came to want Qatar functioning, each for their own reason.

— Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026

Definition of publics

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

Browse Nearby Words

herding

herds

herdsman

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Herds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herds. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of herds

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes