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
Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.
—Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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But Trescothick admitted the fixture is unlikely to sway selection too drastically for the start of the Ashes.—
Michael Bailey,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
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However, a petition is unlikely to sway the opinion of Iger and the brass at Disney.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Its board of directors has six seats, with elections staggered so that half of the board turns over at a time.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
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Multiple batteries can address longer gaps in energy production when their discharges are staggered.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 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
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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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Light shaking was detected, and people in several cities - including Hercules, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont - reported feeling the tremor, according to the USGS DYFI report.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Trim the dead parts, shake the soil off, and store them in a cool, dark location where they are protected from the cold.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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From the perspective of a world of increasingly unimaginable maldistribution of resources, cascading ecological collapse, a genocide cheered on by a putatively liberal order, both are barbarisms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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The letter, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, comes just days before al-Sharaa’s first visit to Washington since taking power following the collapse of the Assad regime.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The chair even rocks back and forth and swivels 360 degrees as well.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Nov. 2025
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Figure skaters rocking the rink this year will include Olympians Jeremy Abbott, Nathan Chen, Keegan Messing, Mariah Bell, Polina Edmunds and Sinead Kerr Marshall with partner John Kerr, alongside viral sensation Elladj Baldé and Maxim Naumov.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Pierre finished with a season-high 18 points and the Horned Frogs had four other players score in double figures to help TCU avoid the upset.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Nov. 2025
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The Miami Dolphins pulled off the biggest upset of the day with a win over the Buffalo Bills.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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One of his conclusions after all that government service was that Congress had scraped too much power away from the presidency after the fiasco of Vietnam and scandal of Watergate.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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According to a post on the Reddit Wedding Shaming forum, a woman detailed the fiasco surrounding her cousin’s wedding.—
Emily Strohm,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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