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
  • There's very little proof that in any election there has been enough absentee ballot fraud to sway a result.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Although his conservative flank has a lock on power, Roberts himself has less sway than ever over an increasingly fractious Court.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sway
Verb
  • Work has already begun on various projects, which are being staggered to avoid closing the museum completely.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The hole gently bends from right to left, with fairway bunkers staggered along both sides.
    — Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of stagger
Noun
  • 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
  • But in a world where a few basis points separates legends from washouts, a 10-point edge is an enormous windfall for anyone who trusted Kalshi’s numbers over those crunched by CME, the giant futures-exchange operator.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of washout
Verb
  • Tarrant County District Attorney In mid-November 1996, Narez shook her daughter, Kasandra White, and threw the child into a wall, causing her head to strike a door, according to the 1999 Tarrant County grand jury indictment.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, in the early morning, cheerleaders flanked the entrance to the courtyard, cheering and shaking their pom-poms as their classmates filed in, showing varying degrees of enthusiasm.
    — Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Noun
  • But Bijan Khajehpour, another Iran expert and the managing partner at consulting firm Eurasian Nexus Partners, doesn’t think Iran’s economy is headed for imminent collapse.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • However, the article emphasizes socialism's historical failures, citing the collapse of the Soviet Union and Venezuela's severe economic devastation under socialist policies.
    — Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • In December 2020, Kotb, Schiffman and their family rocked around the Christmas tree in matching pajamas.
    — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In a photo posted to her Instagram account on August 8, the mom of three showed off her toned muscles while rocking a resistance band and balancing her hands on a set of free weights.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of rock
Noun
  • The event also sparks discussion about potential upsets, given recent surprising results in the sport.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • After the Border War resumed last season, the Jayhawks nearly pulled off an upset in Columbia.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of upset
Noun
  • Two lessons stand out from the Cook County inspector general’s assessment of the fiasco.
    — Tom Dowling, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • And outside of the biggest Kool-Aid® guzzlers in Cupertino, pretty much nobody thinks Apple is interested in going for another big bite of live sports, especially not in light of its MLS fiasco.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lurch

Nglish: Translation of lurch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lurch

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