lurch 1 of 2

verb

ˈlərch How to pronounce lurch (audio)
Definition of lurchnext
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

lurch

2 of 2

noun

as in washout

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 lurch
Verb
The trouble comes when, having ventured on such a tangent, the critic has to lurch back on track. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 His car lurched forward with Miller’s arm still reaching through the window, briefly dragging the cop down the street. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
The beat, provided by live drums, lurches and lumbers, following the knotty runs of notes instead of setting up a pulse. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2026 The lurch from declaring fears about Iran to be mere media exaggerations to invoking imminent threat, from demanding the Nobel Peace Prize to luxuriating in lethality, is the essence of the autocrat’s monopoly on unpredictability. — Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
  1. sway
  2. stagger
  3. washout
  4. shake
  5. collapse
  6. rock
  7. upset
  8. fiasco
Verb
  • Palm trees swayed over a serene campus where students surfed at Campus Point between (or in lieu of) classes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Zoe Zeeman swayed back and forth behind her bass, simply dressed in a tee and vintage Lakers shorts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sway
Verb
  • The funding document stated that the funding would be staggered and tied to different stages of the project, such as the official announcement of filming in Madrid, the start of shooting, and that Madrid had to appear in the film’s title.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Darwin, by then forty-nine and not in the greatest health, was staggered.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of stagger
Noun
  • Residents of the nearby River Road Apartments near there were encouragedto evacuate last night due to erosion caused by the washout.
    — Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Similar to today, there will be large gaps of three to four hours between rounds of rain so the day won't be a washout.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of washout
Verb
  • Beck didn’t participate in the book, but Riesman finds enough friends, family and associates to assemble a complex portrait of an artist who wants his audiences to see him as fashion-forward but has had a hard time shaking his past.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Thunderous applause may greet one documentary premiering at the Venice Film Festival, fitting for a story of athletes who shake the earth with every footfall.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Noun
  • Escaping an energy collapse Things didn’t collapse as analysts feared at the beginning of the conflict.
    — Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The letter provides the most complete window into Kapoor’s thinking since the collapse of his company, Location Ventures, three years ago.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • His music, a blend of charismatic and electrifying punk and post-punk, provided the hard-rocking moment of the entire three-and-a-half-hour evening.
    — David Chiu, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Roan later took to the stage in a purple miniskirt ensemble, rocking a bob.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of rock
Noun
  • And, yes, if FSU could pull off an upset at Alabama or at Miami, those wins would strengthen the perception of the program.
    — Bob Ferrante, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Flag football Panorama pulled off the biggest upset of the week, defeating Eagle Rock in four overtimes.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of upset
Noun
  • The wedding invitation fiasco comes just days after Kelce opened up about his and Swift’s special day.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Though the reason for Marte’s initial absence remains unknown publicly — the Diamondbacks were so blindsided by it that he was scratched only minutes before Monday’s game — the team seemed eager to move on from the fiasco.
    — Marc Carig, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fiasco

Browse Nearby Words

lunkheads
lurch
lurched
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Cite this Entry

“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lurch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lurch

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