lurch

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈlərch 

lurched; lurching; lurches

intransitive verb

1

: to move with a lurch

suddenly lurched forward

also : stagger

… has lurched from crisis to crisis …

—Jere Longman

2

: to roll or tip abruptly : pitch

lurch

2 of 5

noun (1)

1

: an abrupt jerking, swaying, or tipping movement

the car moved forward with a lurch

also : stagger sense 2

2

: a sudden roll of a ship to one side

lurch

3 of 5

noun (2)

: a decisive defeat in which an opponent wins a game by more than double the defeated player's score especially in cribbage

see also in the lurch

lurch

4 of 5

verb (2)

lurched; lurching; lurches

transitive verb

1

: to defeat by a lurch (as in cribbage)

2

archaic : to leave in the lurch

lurch

5 of 5

verb (3)

lurched; lurching; lurches

intransitive verb

dialectal, chiefly England : to loiter about a place furtively : prowl

transitive verb

1

archaic : cheat

2

obsolete : steal

Synonyms of lurch

Verb (1)

• sway
• shake
• rock

Examples of lurch in a Sentence

Verb (1)

the room lurched with every jolt of the earthquake

dressed in his zombie costume, the boy lurched down the street in his quest for Halloween candy

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The big polar bear lurched forward, hitting top speed in two strides. —Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026

As Matt Woosnam reflected recently, the Premier League’s feel-good story has lurched into night terrors. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026

Noun

As the comedy progresses, its buoyant tone clenches and darkens, and the plot bends and lurches, in ways that, to me, felt unnecessarily punitive toward both Haru and the audience. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026

Newsom, who has appeared on Real Time, could benefit from a lurch toward the middle, Maher told The California Post. —Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

Middle French lourche, adjective, defeated by a lurch, deceived

Verb (2)

derivative of lurch entry 3

Verb (3)

Middle English lorchen, probably alteration of lurken to lurk

First Known Use

Verb (1)

circa 1828, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (1)

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1598, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

circa 1651, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing lurch

• in the lurch
• leave (someone) in the lurch

Rhymes for lurch

• birch
• perch
• search
• interchurch
• recherche
• research

Kids Definition

lurch

1 of 3 noun

ˈlərch 

: an overwhelming defeat in a game (as cribbage)

lurch

2 of 3 noun

1

: a sudden roll of a ship to one side

2

: a sudden jerking, swaying, or tipping movement

the car gave a lurch

also : a staggering gait

lurch

3 of 3 verb

1

: to roll or tip suddenly

2

: to move with a lurch

suddenly lurched forward

also : stagger entry 1 sense 1