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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lurch
Zainab Usman, Foreign Affairs, 5 May 2025
German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz was one of the first European leaders to grasp the long-term implications of the American lurch toward authoritarianism.
—David Axe, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Conventional generative AI tends to leave you in a lurch by not doing follow-ups.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
And now that governments in many rich countries have sharply lurched to the right and taken more skeptical stances on aid, this industry is collapsing.
—Zainab Usman, Foreign Affairs, 5 May 2025
German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz was one of the first European leaders to grasp the long-term implications of the American lurch toward authoritarianism.
—David Axe, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
Every day brings another lurch into despotism, bringing more fear, gaslighting and chaos.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Conventional generative AI tends to leave you in a lurch by not doing follow-ups.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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Though extremely skeptical at first, the author was later swayed by the woman’s proof (photos, cards and bank statements) and behavior.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
24 May 2025
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Shifting attitudes about coexistence But changing local attitudes takes work, because not everyone is easily swayed toward a coexistence mindset.—
Lesley Evans Ogden,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Verb
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More than 80 tornadoes had been confirmed as of Monday morning, with areas of Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Virginia − where two deaths were reported − staggered by some of the worst damage, AccuWeather said.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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Brown, his Superman strength sapped, mustered only five points in the second quarter, as Boston staggered to just 38 points as a team.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2025
Noun
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BlockFi, Celsius, Voyager, Genesis, once industry’s leaders, imploded in the great 2022-2023 washout, wiping out $25 billion in loans and much of the sector’s credibility.—
Nina Bambysheva,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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As of Wednesday, weekend storms are expected to be hit-or-miss and no single day will be a complete washout, according to the NWS.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) after a signing ceremony following their bilateral talks at Kumsusan state residence in Pyongyang, on June 19, 2024.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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The ban, now on emergency pause by Burroughs, already has shaken some of the world’s brightest thinkers at a school often heralded as a premier global hub of higher learning.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, rural hospitals — already on the brink of collapse — will close their doors, leaving entire communities without access to emergency care.—
Brian Castrucci,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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There were also signs of lung collapse and fluid buildup (edema).—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Three heavy explosions from German guns rocked the bomber.—
Linda Dudik,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 May 2025
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Bond markets were rocked after the vote, with the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds rising above 4.6 percent and those on 30-year bonds surpassing 5.1 percent, the highest level since October 2023, per CNN.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Noun
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In one of the more shocking upsets in UFC title fight history, Pena submitted Nunes in the second round, ending the Brazilian’s title reign.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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The six-part series will unravel the thrill of the victory and the agony of defeat across six decades of larger-than-life athletes, intense rivalries and stunning upsets that encapsulate the command sports have on our cultural attention.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
14 May 2025
Noun
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The market mayhem wasn't triggered by some mysterious economic force—it's directly connected to mounting anxiety over the federal deficit and the impending fiscal fiasco that Trump and his congressional enablers are planning.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
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Read: Inside the fiasco at the National Security Council In saner times, under sounder leadership, changes to the intelligence community would perhaps be welcome.—
James Santel,
The Atlantic,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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