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to flock to

to flock to

43 3.4
To go to a place in large numbers because many people want to be there
  • phrasal verb
  • /flɑk tu/
translation icon : acudir en masa a
  • When a new amusement park opens, families flock to it for fun and entertainment.
  • people flock to
  • tourists flock to
  • visitors flock to

So I think it is surprising that talent does not flock to Arizona State.

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Examples

  • People are flocking to the technology because it increases whether it's your productivity or solves other solutions for you.

  • Each year, thousands of wannabe musicians flock to these gates in the hope of meeting him, only to have their dreams crushed.

  • The smart people flock to exercise, healthy relationships, work, building a career around themselves.

  • People would flock to visit a real location based on a theme character, a book.

  • And so people would research about the the best paying companies and salaries and flock to those jobs.

  • So they are pleased to assume that, given the chance, everyone will flock to their faith.

    Academic text (2006)
  • It's it's crazy because tourists who had watched you in the States would all flock to come see you.

  • Because the cost savings have also lowered monthly health care premiums, patients have flocked to the plans.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Film crews flocked to the village, and Chungungo enjoyed its moment of fame.

    Academic text (2007)
  • By 2000, free and open access returned, albeit during tightly restricted hours, and thousands flocked to Stonehenge.

    Academic text (2003)

Synonyms

to crowd
vsto flock to
175 1.6

To move many people or animals into a small space

go in large numbers mainly because of interest or attraction
to swarm
vsto flock to
89 3.2

To move to a place in large numbers and make it busy

go in large numbers because of interest rather than to create bustle
to turn out
vsto flock to
74 3.5

People come to an event in large numbers

go in large numbers because of attraction, not only for events

Antonyms

1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

590 1.6

Keep a distance from people or things you want to avoid

How Many

to swarm
89 3.2
to pour
162 1.5
to flock to
43 3.4
to go to
1.0
to drift
331 2.9

Surface Forms

flock to infinitive
flocked to past
flocked to past participle
flocking to present participle
flocks to third person singular

Morphology

flock + to

The verb 'flock' already means to move or gather in large numbers, and the particle/preposition 'to' simply indicates direction or destination, so the combined meaning 'go to a place in large numbers' is directly derivable from the parts. This motion+direction composition is common cross-linguistically and follows a regular English pattern, making it readily understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

The phrasal verb flock to comes from the image of birds in a flock flying together toward one place. So when many people move to the same event or place because they are attracted to it, we say they flock to it, meaning 'to go to a place in large numbers'.