hurl

verb

\ ˈhər(-ə)l

hurled; hurling\ ˈhər-liŋ

Definition of hurl

intransitive verb

1 : rush, hurtle

2 : pitch sense 5a

3 : vomit

transitive verb

1 : to send or thrust with great vigor the forces that were to be hurled against the Turks— N. T. Gilroy

2 : to throw down with violence

3a : to throw forcefully : fling hurled the manuscript into the fire hurled myself over the fence

b : pitch sense 2a

4 : to utter with vehemence hurled insults at the police

Other Words from hurl Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about hurl

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Choose the Right Synonym for hurl

throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force. throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm. can throw a fastball and a curve cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering. cast it to the winds toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion. tossed the coat on the bed fling stresses a violent throwing. flung the ring back in his face hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight. hurled himself at the intruder pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target. pitch horseshoes sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim. slung the bag over his shoulder

Examples of hurl in a Sentence

Someone hurled a rock through the window. He hurled a chair at me. It looked like she was going to hurl herself down the stairs. The protesters hurled insults at us.

Recent Examples on the Web

The fight keeps escalating from there, with each hurling insults and threats at the other. — Aurelie Corinthios, PEOPLE.com, "Blac Chyna and Her Mom Nearly Come to Blows During Explosive Fight on New Docu-Series," 4 June 2019 The military released video footage showing large crowds of protesters gathered near the fence and hurling objects. — Fares Akram, The Seattle Times, "Rockets from Gaza Strip hit Israel; 4 die at border protest," 31 Mar. 2019 That paid off Saturday, with the two groups hurling insults but nothing else. — Darcy Costello, The Courier-Journal, "Anti-ICE rally surges in face of 'patriot' militia group counterprotest," 7 July 2018 And in the episode’s climactic scene, Enzo Scanno (also bested by Lila in the school contest) and his friends hurl stones at Lila, knocking her over and bloodying her head. — Anna North, Vox, "My Brilliant Friend pulls back the curtain on women’s lives. What it reveals is dark and violent.," 20 Nov. 2018 Yet somehow within an hour, the whole circus, from snowball-hurling middle schoolers to wobbly kindergartners, is snowplowing, then speeding, downhill. — Melody Warnick, Woman's Day, "These Small-Town Heroes Are Helping Their Communities Thrive," 2 Apr. 2019 Class Axe just sliced past Stumpy’s Hatchet House of San Antonio, which will open June 9, to become the debut hatchet-hurling hotspot in town. — René A. Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, "Ax-throwing the latest trend in fun in San Antonio," 11 May 2018 Despite the insult-hurling Senate Republican candidates on the ballot, Central Indiana voter turnout was low Tuesday. — Leigh Hedger, Indianapolis Star, "Trump to boost Braun in Elkhart, but can Braun or Donnelly excite voters?," 9 May 2018 The Israeli military said the army responded with gunfire and water cannons as Palestinians hurled firebombs at soldiers and attempted to infiltrate Israel. — Rory Jones, WSJ, "Eight Die as Protests Resume at Gaza-Israel Fence," 7 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hurl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.