MOB Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'mob' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mob are crowd , crush , horde , and throng . While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence. // an angry mob

Q: Where would 'crowd' be a reasonable alternative to 'mob'?

While the synonyms crowd and mob are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together. // a crowd gathered

Q: In what contexts can 'crush' take the place of 'mob'?

The words crush and mob are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort. // a crush of fans

Q: How do 'throng' and 'horde' relate to one another, in the sense of 'mob'?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing. // a throng of reporters // a horde of shoppers

mob 1 of 2

noun

ˈmäb

Definition of mob

as in crowd

a great number of persons or creatures massed together a mob of pigeons soon flocked around us after they spied the bread crumbs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in Mafia

a group involved in secret or criminal activities the club owner was accused of having connections with a mob of racketeers

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in populace

the body of the community as contrasted with the elite political speeches designed to appeal to the mob

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

mob

2 of 2

verb

as in to flock

to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers the snack bar was mobbed as soon as the meeting was over

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun mob differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mob are crowd, crush, horde, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Where would crowd be a reasonable alternative to mob?

While the synonyms crowd and mob are close in meaning, crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

In what contexts can crush take the place of mob?

The words crush and mob are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

How do throng and horde relate to one another, in the sense of mob?

Both throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters

a horde of shoppers

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 mob

Noun

In the original show, Jonny is a powerful member of the Irish mob in London, serving as a soldier and drug distributor for his uncle, Tadgh McGee (Brian Gleeson). — Joe Otterson, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 Bullock was her co-star’s sartorial opposite, embracing a mob wife style moment in a structured leopard print gown from Givenchy’s fall 2026 ready-to-wear collection. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026

Verb

Loftin was mobbed by his teammates as the Royals earned a 4-3 home victory. — Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026 Goalkeeper Sebastian Guerra scored the winning spot-kick before he was mobbed by team-mates in celebration. — Sam Joseph, New York Times, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mob

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mob

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

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

Verb

As the number of new small businesses in the country continues to grow, and more people flock to digital banks, innovative fintechs like Contabilizei have an opportunity to become a key part of that domestic economic ecosystem.

— Charlotte Hu, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Young people continue to flock to New York for its vast job market and opportunities, but affording a place to live is increasingly a challenge.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of flock

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

Noun

Izo 2 leads an armed group in that area on behalf of and in coordination with other gang leaders including Izo, considered one of Haiti's most powerful gang leaders.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
It was agreed that the gang suppression force would strengthen its presence in Port-au-Prince and that Haitian forces would reinforce their deployment in Kenscoff.

— Evens Sanon, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of gang

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

moats

mob

mobbed

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Style

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

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Synonyms of mob

noun

verb

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