flash mob

or flash·mob

[ flash-mob ]

noun

1. a group of people mobilized by social media to meet in a public place for the purpose of doing an unusual or entertaining activity of short duration:

   The flash mob brought wide smiles to the faces of commuters waiting for their train.

2. a group of teenagers who have contacted each other by cell phone and social media and gather in an area to trash it or to mug and beat passersby.

verb (used with object)

, flash mobbed, flash mob·bing.

1. to crowd around (a place or person) in a flash mob:

   Dancing teenagers flash mobbed the store.

2. to commit violence against (a place or person) in a flash mob:

   The mayor imposed a curfew on all males under the age of 18 after two blocks of downtown Philadelphia were flash mobbed and severely damaged.

verb (used without object)

, flash mobbed, flash mob·bing.

1. to organize or take part in a flash mob.

flash mob

noun

1. a group of people coordinated by email and social media to meet to perform some predetermined action at a particular place and time and then disperse quickly

Derived Forms

• ˈflashˌmobbing, noun

Other Words From

• flash mobber flash mobster noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of flash mob¹

2000–05; flash in the sense of ‘quick'; on the model of smart mob

Example Sentences

One of our clients is GoDaddy and they organized a flash mob that was happening at their booth in the metaverse.

From Digiday

The day after the party there will be a virtual flash mob in which players can take part in a choreographed dance as it happens in the film.

From Digiday

People come to these games, or “experiences” as they’re known, for all manner of entertainment, from watching a concert from their favorite performer like Lil Nas X to doing a virtual flash mob in a scene from their favorite film.

From Digiday

Of course, nobody intends to camp in a flash mob, amid the toilet paper fluttering from any tree limb that has not already been snapped off for roasting weenies.

From Outside Online

“This is a flash mob with money,” said Peter Atwater, an adjunct lecturer of economics at the College of William & Mary.

From Washington Post

In Taipei, Taiwan, a Bach flash mob consisting of cellists and tuba players took over a train.

From The Daily Beast

So when the Today show staged a flash mob earlier this month, it had the effect of beating a dead horse.

From The Daily Beast

This effort is admittedly less “flash mob” and more “stand and sing on the subway.”

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps a synchronized flash mob would have been a bigger hit, or at least more entertaining for spectators to watch.

From The Daily Beast