From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishby the scoreby the scorein large numbers Friends came to help by the score. → score
Examples from the Corpus
by the score• But he admitted that he himself granted them by the score.• Labor and trade union officials were arrested by the score.• Of course, Doyle's success brought imitators by the score, all writing then in the short story form.• Wally's friends would come in here by the scores, at any odd hour of the day or night.• The barrage ignited waves of pandemonium, as parents by the scores rushed to the school, which has 700 pupils. 