hurled; hurling ˈhər-liŋ How to pronounce hurl (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to send or thrust with great vigor
the forces that were to be hurled against the TurksN. T. Gilroy
2
: to throw down with violence
3
a
: to throw forcefully : fling
hurled the manuscript into the fire
hurled myself over the fence
4
: to utter with vehemence
hurled insults at the police
hurl noun
hurler noun
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
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.
An inning later, Royals reliever John Schreiber allowed consecutive doubles and hurled a wild pitch as Los Angeles extended the lead. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025 Stories include a brick thrown through a home's window, slurs hurled at a public pool, middle fingers extended out of car windows, and an overall cold shoulder from neighbors. Cate Charron, IndyStar, 2 Sep. 2025 The crew from Whiskey in the Jar won the wet and wild 2025 Hamtramck Yacht Races as revelers lined Jos Campau Avenue and hurled tens of thousands of water balloons at racers – and each other – to celebrate Labor Day. M.l. Elrick, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2025 Across the Southeast Asian archipelago, demonstrators have torched government buildings, riot police have hurled tear gas and fired water cannons at protesters in city streets, and some people have looted politicians’ houses and burned vehicles. Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hurl

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hurl was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hurl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurl. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

hurl

verb
hurled; hurling ˈhər-liŋ How to pronounce hurl (audio)
1
: to throw violently or powerfully
2
3
hurler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hurl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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