herd 1 of 2

noun

ˈhərd How to pronounce herd (audio)
Definition of herdnext
1
as in flock
a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together the great herds of cattle that cowboys once drove across the plains

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2
as in populace
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite aspire to achieve something, to distinguish yourself from the herd

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in throng
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

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herd

2 of 2

verb

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

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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 herd
Noun
Kansas and Missouri have the third- and sixth-largest cattle herds among states, respectively, with a combined population of nearly 10 million cows. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026 Ranchers have reduced herds, while strong demand for beef has kept pressure on the dwindling supply. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 21 Aug. 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 Synopsis In a remote Somali pastoral village, 12-year-old boys, Waasuge and Warmooge, spend their days herding goats and playing games. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for herd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herd
  1. flock
  2. populace
  3. throng
  4. drive
  5. crowd
  6. swarm
  7. public
  8. horde
Noun
  • The band had already been in talks with the more pyrotechnically minded Joe Walsh for months, slowly bringing him into the flock with a guest spot at Wembley Stadium.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Drivers honked, pedestrians took photographs, and a flock of Waymos stopped and started repeatedly, their algorithms seemingly flummoxed.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of flock
Noun
  • This is where the irrationality of antisemitic conspiracy gains no purchase among a reasoning and pragmatic populace; where government is led by people who grasp, and embrace, the seriousness of their responsibilities.
    — Rory Lancman, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Since the 1700s, Jamaica’s populace has been dominated by the descendants of African slaves.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of populace
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
  • Officers also described the throng of parents searching for children and spouses who worked at the school, including a woman who said her husband had grabbed their child and hidden near an ice machine in the basement of the church.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of throng
Verb
  • As such, this is meant to be a workhorse that's also enjoyable to drive.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The song has a driving bass line and would be interesting to perform with a live band.
    — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Hvar banned its circuit of thumping DJ parties in 2024 in an effort to rebrand itself, but August’s high tourist season in Hvar Town still draws heavy crowds.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
  • So too the buzz around the event last year and this, with first-round matches in 2025 attracting large and engrossed crowds.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of crowd
Noun
  • The growth of agentic AI and the rise of cyber hacks orchestrated by agents are forcing companies to invest in more tools to manage swarms of new identities.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This phrase is a complicated way of simply acknowledging the fact that Pluto sits within the Kuiper Belt, a vast swarm of bodies that go around the sun in similar orbits beyond Neptune.
    — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of swarm
Noun
  • So deep are the divisions that hardliners have accused officials of deliberately mismanaging the economic crisis to pressure an exhausted public into accepting a deal.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • For public health purposes, all of these distinctions should have been explained immediately and clearly to the American public.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of public
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
  • Or what about storming the field, the tradition that follows a momentous win, when order dissolves and players brace themselves for a horde of fans pouring out of the stands.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of horde

Phrases Containing herd

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herculean
herd
herded
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Cite this Entry

“Herd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herd. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on herd

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about herd

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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