as in crowded
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified
the museum was swarming with schoolchildren on a field trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in flocking
to move upon or fill (something) in great numbers
meeting little resistance, the pirates swarmed the decks of the merchant ship
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in bursting
to be copiously supplied
at this time of year that Mexican resort swarms with college students on spring break
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in climbing
to move (as up or over something) often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling
one of the physical challenges had competitors swarming over a pile of logs
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 swarming
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026
The first bulletins reported police and emergency vehicles swarming around a nightclub in Orlando in the predawn hours of June 12, 2016.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026
The video showed taunting fans swarming the hotel, a few blocks south of Madison Square Garden.
—CBS News, 11 June 2026
The HiveSpy project is a low‑cost, frame‑level IoT monitoring system that helps beekeepers automate labor‑intensive tasks and prevent hive swarming by tracking production yield in real time.
—Ashley Moran, IEEE Spectrum, 10 June 2026
This may be the denouement of all of Nilsson’s multitudinous and swarming work.
—Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and their swarming backcourt to thank for that.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Russell Crowe's blunt response to swarming fans outside his Paris hotel room has sparked an online debate.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Beekeepers typically try to guide swarming so their their colonies can grow.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
Verb
Chicago, town of magical beauty, is swarming with prestidigitators.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026
The first bulletins reported police and emergency vehicles swarming around a nightclub in Orlando in the predawn hours of June 12, 2016.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026
The video showed taunting fans swarming the hotel, a few blocks south of Madison Square Garden.
—CBS News, 11 June 2026
The HiveSpy project is a low‑cost, frame‑level IoT monitoring system that helps beekeepers automate labor‑intensive tasks and prevent hive swarming by tracking production yield in real time.
—Ashley Moran, IEEE Spectrum, 10 June 2026
This may be the denouement of all of Nilsson’s multitudinous and swarming work.
—Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and their swarming backcourt to thank for that.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Russell Crowe's blunt response to swarming fans outside his Paris hotel room has sparked an online debate.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Beekeepers typically try to guide swarming so their their colonies can grow.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swarming
Adjective
-
Be mindful of others during rush hour In particularly busy cities like Tokyo and Osaka, commuter trains can get very crowded during rush hour.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Well, everyone except a 60-ish woman, Trisha, and her husband, who have been Little Toni’s regulars for 30 years and have no clue why their beloved haunt is so crowded on what appears to be an average Sunday.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The Knicks’ historic comeback victory Wednesday had New Yorkers flocking to their streaming services to celebrate with Big Apple-centric songs.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2026
-
The chef and restaurateur, who just opened Casa Vialetto on Alhambra Circle in Coral Gables, can’t quite believe the flurry of diners flocking to his new restaurant.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The aisles of the big box store of your choice are bursting with pool noodles, sunscreen, Pride rainbow sunglasses, and American flags.—
Jennifer Rosen Heinz,
Parents,
17 June 2026
-
The streets were bursting with celebratory fervor.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Above-normal temperatures and dry conditions are forecast across the West, with highs climbing into the 110s in parts of the Desert Southwest midweek.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
-
The landscape is dotted with lighthouses, and climbing one feels like a rite of passage.—
Caitlin Gunther,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Wall Street Journal featured Reese alongside WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson on its magazine cover, even after Caitlin Clark broke numerous records, filled arenas, and set new marks for WNBA broadcasts.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
The new system allows citations to be transmitted electronically and enter the court records system pre-filled.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Jubilant Knicks fans flooded the streets of New York Saturday night, crowding into intersections and climbing light poles and buses, to celebrate the team’s first NBA championship win in more than 50 years.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Visitors must adhere to the one-way system that was implemented along popular stretches during peak times to reduce crowding.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The Great Hall at the CBS Philadelphia studios was buzzing all day as an army of volunteers took donations and honored the memory of Alex Scott, the little girl who started it all.—
CBS News Philadelphia Staff,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
On Thursday, business was buzzing, perhaps partly because Brittany Mahomes, spouse of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, shared the post on her Instagram page.—
Eric Adler
June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Four Kenyan commercial banks — Credit Bank, Consolidated Bank, Development Bank of Kenya, and Access Bank Kenya — are actively scrambling to plug severe capital shortfalls after missing the Central Bank of Kenya’s strict minimum core capital deadline.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
-
Once completed, more normal flows through the strait could be reestablished, allowing empty ships to start reentering the water to fill up and start taking long-sought-after oil to buyers who are scrambling for crude.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swarming. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
