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
Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
The film lurches between scenes of lush romantic melodrama and moments of Grand Guignol bloodletting.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
Tonya Simpson, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
And Americans who want a Covid booster are left in a lurch because Kennedy’s antipathy now limits what is covered by insurance plans.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
The film lurches between scenes of lush romantic melodrama and moments of Grand Guignol bloodletting.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
On Halloween of 2022, just weeks into the new school year, senior Ehni Ler Htoo was making his way through the halls of Proctor High School in Utica, New York, when a fellow student lurched at him from behind, repeatedly plunging a 9-inch hunting knife into his back.
—Tonya Simpson, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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Both campaigns are intensifying efforts to sway undecided voters and mobilize their bases.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Narrative warfare sways public sentiment long before a bullet is fired.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The members would have to live within a set geographic area in and around Independence and would serve staggered three-year terms, so only a few seats would ever turn over at the same time.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
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Cheng likes to build muni bond ladders, which means staggering the maturity dates of multiple bonds.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Market breadth was negative but not a washout, new 52-week highs were still well ahead of new lows.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The storm also left people trapped in seven vehicles on nearby roads after overflowing creeks caused washouts, deputies said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Whether it’s shaken, stirred, dirty, or dry, the martini remains one of the world’s most iconic and timeless drinks.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Nov. 2025
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Start the process by vigorously shaking or hanging then pounding the rug to remove loose dirt, crumbs, and other particles, then vacuum it thoroughly on both sides, using a canister vacuum with the hose or a high pile setting—and no beater bar!—
Jennifer Beck Goldblatt,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One is if the Democratic turnout collapse that defined 2024 repeats itself—particularly in Passaic County, where anger over the Biden Administration’s handling of Gaza kept many Muslim voters home.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
-
By the early 2000s, overfishing was rampant, fishing became the most dangerous job in America and our oceans were on the brink of collapse.—
Amanda Leland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The brutal slaying rocked the town, where such crimes were basically unheard of.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
-
As for her hair, the 14-year-old rocked a middle part and loose curls, showcasing her bronze highlights, perfectly complementing the dress.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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All six of those teams have either two or three total conference games left on their schedule, so the chances for those upsets to take place are minimal.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
-
There were plenty of upsets, from Houston falling to West Virginia to SMU potentially knocking Miami out of the playoffs one week after the Mustangs lost to Wake Forest.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The constant, nearly vindictive string of injuries was the same as last year’s six-win fiasco, but the results were the exact opposite.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
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But that this fiasco happened at all is a sign of how much Americans’ desire to optimize their rest has grown—along with the market to sate that desire.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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