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mob

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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
Notable cases include when she was appointed special prosecutor in the case of the torch-carrying mob in the fatal 2017 Unite the Right white supremacist riot. CBS News, 17 June 2025 The shooting that killed Stewart Ivey and Eugene Reinhardt, two of the Klansmen who went to Mack’s Kissimmee house that night, forced other Black families in the city to flee as a mob scoured the town for him. Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2025
Verb
Organizers formed a human chain to allow players to leave without being mobbed. Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 8 June 2025 The clerics getting the celebrity treatment mobbed by reporters tracking their every move. ABC News, 4 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for mob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mob
Noun
  • Designed to manipulate the masses and unveil their true demonic nature, the song draws crowds toward Gwi-Ma’s deadly flames — nearly succeeding in their sinister plan until Rumi steps in to stop them.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 14 July 2025
  • Jordynne Grace Blake Monroe cornered Jordynne Grace, who was a very popular with the Atlanta crowd.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • Snuffy is the nickname of Manuel Quintero, alleged by Los Angeles County prosecutors to be a member of the Mexican Mafia, a group of about 140 men who rule over Southern California’s Latino street gangs.
    Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
  • Cockney con man Michael Caine, recently released from the clink, puts together a truly ludicrous heist to steal $4 million in Mafia gold bullion from the middle of Turin using Mini Coopers.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza's civilian populace.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 July 2025
  • The 2020 Pew study found that Reform Jews are 37% of the American Jewish populace, followed by Jews that claim no particular branch — 32% —and then Conservatives at 17% .
    Michael Weissenstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • What Is Happening in Cape Coral? Cape Coral's housing market exploded during the pandemic, when thousands of out-of-state newcomers flocked to the relatively affordable Florida paradise, snatching up for-sale homes and driving up prices.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
  • Today, visitors flock here in droves every autumn to pick apples and pumpkins, shop for antiques, and take in those small-town fall vibes.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • Last season, before the final home series, Getz spoke to a throng of media inside the tunnels of Rate Field in Chicago.
    Sam Blum, New York Times, 7 July 2025
  • Along with the headline-grabbing job culls in the federal government which began earlier this year, a throng of companies have already laid off workers so far in 2025, including Microsoft, UPS, Dell, BP and others.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
Noun
  • America's brave men and women are removing murderers, MS-13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists—truly the worst of the worst from Golden State communities.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
  • The gangs also received backing from other criminal groups operating in Port-au-Prince— particularly the gangs from Canaan, Grand Ravine and Village de Dieu.
    Jacqueline Charles July 11, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Carlyle took United Defense public in 2001 and fully exited in 2004, making more than $1 billion in profit.
    Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 3 July 2025
  • The victim was identified through genealogy, and the coroner’s office is waiting on a final report from a private lab before making his ID public, Jellison said.
    Jake Allen, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • The floor is peppered with spare knee pads and helmets, and a swarm of roller derby players outfitted in protective armor congregate in the center of the warehouse.
    Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
  • If a task can be performed in more than one way by equal peers working together—much in the way an ant colony or swarm of bees works—then the system is resistant to censorship and hardware faults and has service continuity due to economic sustainability.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mob. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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