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
April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 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
Roth approached the man — later identified as 29-year-old Gustavo Rojas — and his heart lurched.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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Rebelling against the strictures of ballet, barefoot and in loose, flowing tunics, Isadora would strike ancient Greek poses and sway and turn to-and-fro as if driven by currents of wind and ocean, a force of nature herself.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
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Trump reportedly has been aiming to use the higher tariffs he’s enacted on non-compliant Mexican and Canadian goods to sway USMCA negotiations.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Baseball’s stubbornness and insistence on staggering all of its postseason games left a terrific pitcher’s duel between two of the game’s young stars to start shortly after lunch on the East Coast and just a bit after breakfast on the West Coast.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Additional departure dates are staggered throughout July and August.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Because of semaglutide's long washout period, treatment should also be stopped at least two months before a planned pregnancy.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Weak to light shaking was recorded, and people in several cities - such as Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake and Angelus Oaks - reported experiencing the tremor, according to the USGS DYFI report.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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The region has been shaken Other nations in the region have been affected by the tumult.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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High seas and rough surf from two hurricanes have been blamed for the collapse of seven houses on North Carolina's Outer Banks.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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After the collapse, the city placed the building on the dangerous buildings list and issued an order that it being repaired or demolished.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As seen in the second photo, Kidman — who also rocked her new bangs — layered a statement burgundy blazer jacket over her shoulders to tie in the bag.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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The country was rocked by the 2019 murder of Walter Lübcke, a local government official who supported the pro-refugee policies of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.—
Stephanie Halasz,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Penalties were also a significant issue for the Bills, resulting in 11 infractions for 90 yards, which helped the Patriots breathe life into drives and contribute to the upset.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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The Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills were the only two unbeaten teams this season heading into Week 5 but both saw their unbeaten records on the season end on a weekend of upsets in the NFL.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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After days of explosive online back-and-forth with Nicki Minaj (and a few jabs tossed toward JT), the Bronx rapper hopped on social media with her first video addressing the fiasco that was equal parts warning and reminder.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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The once-struggling 57-year-old seafood chain had endured an $11 million endless-shrimp fiasco among other mistakes made.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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