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
With a cigarette dangling from her lips, ashes and curse words ever ready to fall, Angela lurches around the house critical of everything and everyone. — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 There followed an uncomfortable, lurching ride in a rickety old coach. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
Yurich traces Eddie’s spiraling loss of control and his lurch into self-harm with raw feeling, and both writer and director take risks with a final act that can be interpreted as a victory but never glosses over the tremendous physical and emotional cost. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026 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 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
  • The shadows of the trees swaying in the breeze flickered across it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The last veto override was in 1979, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting, but history wouldn’t necessarily sway Lee from taking action if the opportunity were presented.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sway
Verb
  • But only weeks into his first season, as the Jets staggered to a 3-14 record, the team traded two of its best defensive players in cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The screening times were staggered, allowing Pawlikowski to hurry from one place to the next and introduce his film.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of stagger
Noun
  • Still some lingering light rain and breezy conditions across parts of the Northeast for tomorrow morning, but not a washout for most.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • South Florida’s forecast this week predicted a washout into the weekend.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of washout
Verb
  • The event, televised by dozens of channels across Serbia, capped a week of Vucic touring towns and villages in an apparent bid to shore up his popularity that's been shaken after almost two years of sustained anti-government protests.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Bottle tops popped, can tabs cracked, and cocktail shakers shook all day Thursday at the Aftershock music festival at Sacramento’s Discovery Park.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of shake
Noun
  • Two weeks into fighting, the unforgiving mountainous terrain, heavy Saudi and government air power, and a reenergized anti-Houthi coalition have kept the Houthi advance in check, preventing a collapse on the level of that in mid-September.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • While the exact time of the collapse is unknown, the Volcanoes National Park team said on social media Thursday that the arch was still standing on Wednesday, September 23, when the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Stallone, on the other hand, was all about exclusivity, rocking a rare off-catalog variant with a turquoise dial.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The Gators rocked Ole Miss one week after the Rebels made a statement win against LSU.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of rock
Noun
  • Bronny played regularly down the stretch last season and into the playoffs while Doncic and Reaves were sidelined by injury, teaming up with his father for significant minutes in the Lakers' first-round upset of the Houston Rockets.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Doug Jones is seeking a historic comeback in Alabama, while Democrats in Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina are pursuing statewide wins and Senate upsets.
    — Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of upset
Noun
  • The not-so-Super Rams return to the scene of that fiasco on Sunday.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But Rubin’s song selection and line of questioning never toss the artist a curious misfire or label fiasco to unpack.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of fiasco

Browse Nearby Words

lunkheads
lurch
lurched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lurch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lurch

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