in the lurch

adjective

Definition of in the lurchnext
as in susceptible

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of in the lurch Newsom and other opponents, like the California Teachers Association, said the measure is shortsighted and left public schools, childcare providers and others in the lurch by focusing almost solely on healthcare. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 That avoids leaving team members in the lurch while the person is out, Ackerman said. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 8 June 2026 Rather than leave existing clients in the lurch, Lee allowed IDW to essentially inherit those accounts, allowing the fledgling business to become profitable within its first year of operation. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 The chaos left students across the county — many of whom were in the midst of finals — in the lurch, wondering if their assignments could be turned in or would be postponed. — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026 And Lake Station Community Schools Superintendent Tom Cripliver said the School Board is looking for alternatives so families aren’t left in the lurch when the new school year begins. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026 Just as Musk left Oracle in the lurch, a LinkedIn message from OpenAI infrastructure chief Peter Hoeschele arrived in the inbox of a sales leader at Oracle, Bloomberg reported. — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 29 Apr. 2026 When pressed about the path forward with TSA agents and other workers left in the lurch, Murphy said Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, are the ones who have rejected their proposals to provide immediate funding for the Transportation Security Administration. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026 Scant negotiations progress Last week, Congress failed to advance a DHS funding bill for the fifth time, leaving TSA, FEMA and other agencies in the lurch. — Luke Garrett, NPR, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for in the lurch
  1. susceptible
  2. unprotected
  3. vulnerable
  4. helpless
  5. undefended
Adjective
  • The two phantoms were designed to be adult females, since previous research found that breasts and ovaries are especially susceptible to radiation damage.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Without claim-level review capabilities, employers remain susceptible to inaccurate reimbursements regardless of efficiencies achieved through administrative processes.
    — Bruce Roffe, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of susceptible
Adjective
  • The installations at the 500 delis were completed in April, but the city has not committed any additional funds towards equipping the thousands of bodegas that remain unprotected, Mateo said.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • How to see the eclipse Never look directly at the sun with unprotected eyes.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of unprotected
Adjective
  • And while global child mortality data for 2025 won’t be available for several months, health officials are already bracing for a surge in deaths among the world’s youngest and most vulnerable.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • District leaders warned that the move could leave CPS vulnerable to midyear cuts if the money doesn’t materialize.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of vulnerable
Adjective
  • The wartime mood among European and American intellectuals was hopeless, or, rather, in her estimation, helpless.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And the sport — players in uniform and executives in suits alike — all march toward the cliff in shackles of their own design, seemingly helpless to find a compromise.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of helpless
Adjective
  • Back then, America feared an armada of Soviet bombers laden with A-bombs barreling over the horizon, dodging our few anti-aircraft batteries, and dropping their deadly payloads on undefended American cities.
    — Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2026
  • The lack of range of Coastal Command aircraft left an undefended area known as the Mid-Atlantic Gap, rendering merchant shipping and their escorts without air cover and vulnerable to attack.
    — Mark Wood, TheWeek, 7 Jan. 2026
Definition of undefended

Browse Nearby Words

in the know
in the lurch
in the nude
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“In the lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/in%20the%20lurch. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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