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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of lurch
Nicholas Jacobs, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
As Aden Kassaye and her mother got out to inspect the damage, Beas Solorio reportedly lurched the BMW forward, making contact with Ayalew’s torso, prompting Ayalew to slam her hands on the BMW’s hood to brace herself and yell at the driver.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 30 May 2026
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
By 2024 that gap reached 27 points – not because working-class voters lurched toward anti-government extremism, but because mainstream Democrats became dramatically more trusting of government as an instrument of social change.
—Nicholas Jacobs, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
As Aden Kassaye and her mother got out to inspect the damage, Beas Solorio reportedly lurched the BMW forward, making contact with Ayalew’s torso, prompting Ayalew to slam her hands on the BMW’s hood to brace herself and yell at the driver.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 30 May 2026
Noun
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
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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But listening to Magazine—their new 10-track, 11-minute album—that artful density becomes singular, swaying as much as whipping between its frantic ideas.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
12 June 2026
-
On the outskirts of Vịnh Mốc, bamboo trees sway in the wind above a line of streetfood shacks.—
Pavlo Fedykovych,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Springfield staggered out of session this week with a $56 billion budget, no Bears deal and plenty of unfinished business.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
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Major events such as Hamilton and an Issa Rae show were swiftly canceled, staff departures staggered departments and drained the organization of expertise, and ticket sales drastically declined.—
Janay Kingsberry,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
While a few storms will be possible, the current forecast does not suggest a washout.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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The two subsequent washouts have given Sri Lanka a 1-0 series victory.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Verb
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This majestic sequence delivers a lifetime’s outpouring of love’s inadequacies and frustrations, of grief and regret, of gratitude along with candid acceptance of loss, and of self-questioning that never shakes the foundations of the family—her ferocious commitment to the children.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
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As his lead attorney, Howard Srebnick, was minutes into his opening statements, Pino began crying, shaking and breathing heavily.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Golden State scored just eight points in the final period and made just one field goal, but survived because their 15-point second half lead was enough to absorb the collapse in a 76-72 win over the Storm.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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The Zephyr’s collapse also affects Rocky Mountain High grad Kelsey Oyler (2021), who played in 27 of 28 games as a rookie this past season, including 22 starts.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
Verb
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After massive democracy protests rocked the Asian financial hub in 2019, Beijing imposed a national security law that has been used to arrest many leading activists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
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In the Florida Keys, lights flickered and boats rocked a bit more than usual.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Noun
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And if not for a fortunate deflection off a Bosnia and Herzegovina defender in the 78th minute, Canada would have found itself on the wrong side of the biggest upset of the World Cup so far.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
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Even with all those extra teams – there’s 48 in this year’s tournament, up 16 from recent editions – there will still be the surprises and upsets that make every World Cup special.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Listen to Forte recall his fringe fiasco in the clip above.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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Still, even if Team Blue will likely win in the end, the California governor’s race has been a fiasco for Democrats from the start—and in ways that reflect an ongoing dysfunction that has become a feature of the party in recent years.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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