1
as in to sway
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions
the room lurched with every jolt of the earthquake
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side
dressed in his zombie costume, the boy lurched down the street in his quest for Halloween candy
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in washout
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lurch
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 May 2026
For weeks, the Strait of Hormuz has lurched between open and closed — mostly the latter — depending on the day’s escalation, underscoring how fragile a system built on global fossil fuel chokepoints has become.
—Jennifer Granholm, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 May 2026
For weeks, the Strait of Hormuz has lurched between open and closed — mostly the latter — depending on the day’s escalation, underscoring how fragile a system built on global fossil fuel chokepoints has become.
—Jennifer Granholm, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
Newsom, who has appeared on Real Time, could benefit from a lurch toward the middle, Maher told The California Post.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
-
Ultimately, the bond market is sending a message about the economy, and it isn’t swayed by trendy narratives, Malek said.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
The stream ended abruptly, but not before cameras captured Peters’ eyes seemingly rolling back in his head and his body swaying.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The story of American history has no ending; the nation and its people stagger on.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
But Betts’ staggered playing time will only last so long, and the Dodgers would like to refrain from having both Kim and Freeland on the bench.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
There will be several chances for rain across Maryland Wednesday through early next week, but none of the days are looking like washouts.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
This is an ideal grass for patching after a washout.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even with only two-thirds of the lower bowl of Grand Casino Arena filled, the cheers of relief from the fans when Morin scored the game-tying and game leading goals shook the arena as if the place was packed full.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
-
Her daytime meals are pretty consistent and include yogurts, protein bars, protein shakes and protein pasta.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Travellers flying in or out of the hub ogled the spectacle, a display of sudden corporate collapse.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
The airline’s collapse followed years of instability, bankruptcy filings, engine recall issues affecting its fleet and failed merger attempts with Frontier Airlines and JetBlue.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The cruise ship rocked by an unprecedented Andes hantavirus outbreak arrived in the Canary Islands off the coast of Tenerife Island over the weekend and is being evacuated.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
11 May 2026
-
Brady, whose cameo marked two years since Hart took shots at the NFL legend during Netflix’s 2024 roast of the quarterback, rocked up to the mic in an all-black outfit and diced up the Jumanji star.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Throw in the Indiana Pacers’ and New York Knicks’ surprising second-round wins last year (+425 and +550 odds, respectively), and four of the 14 largest NBA playoff upsets of the past 40 years have occurred in just the past two postseasons.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
6 May 2026
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For example, immediately following an electric performance in Ole Miss’ upset of Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss became this year’s third favorite with +1000 odds after not even being originally posted.—
Doug Kezirian,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The fiasco played out for days and led to in-depth reviews at both the BBC and BAFTA.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
-
But that doesn’t mean the Terry Rozier fiasco can’t have the NBA rig the lotto hopper.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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