in the lurch

Definition of in the lurchnext

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 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 Others, too, have expressed concern that the May Revision leaves them in the lurch — especially counties and immigrant rights advocates, who say Newsom’s balanced budget kicks additional costs to local government and adds more cost pressures for certain immigrants. Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 14 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 When the company announced a new round of funding, valuing Anthropic at $350 billion, Amodei ran off to Switzerland and left me in the lurch. Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for in the lurch
Adjective
  • But these jobs are also among the most susceptible to AI displacement.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 17 May 2026
  • Other recommendations from the NFL include a request for the CFTC to create a unique certification process for contracts that are related to an individual player's performance or susceptible to manipulation.
    Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • So next season very much becomes like 2024-25, when a failure to make the playoffs could mean an unprotected first-round pick going out the following year (which would have been this year’s draft due to a previous obligation to the Thunder).
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 May 2026
  • If the 2026 first-rounder didn’t convey, then the Clippers would get Indiana’s unprotected 2031 pick, which is the same year franchise star Kawhi Leonard turns 40 years old.
    Law Murray, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • The Giants must capitalize with early wins against vulnerable opponents this fall to set a promising course in John Harbaugh’s first season as head coach.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 15 May 2026
  • In addition to these external influences, Dini emphasized that long-term domestic instability has left Somalia’s coastline vulnerable, weakening local institutions and lowering the risks for pirate networks.
    Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • By contrast, the publication of his translation of Kafka in Italian in the spring of 1983 left him feeling empty, helpless, defenseless.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
  • All the sweeping expansiveness snaps shut with a sudden health crisis for Kristen, its onset signaled with masterful concision in a middle-of-the-night calamity that leaves her helpless.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
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
  • Overall, the artist’s work feels honest and undefended.
    R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 9 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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