lurch 1 of 2

verb

ˈlərch How to pronounce lurch (audio)
Definition of lurchnext
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

lurch

2 of 2

noun

as in washout

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 lurch
Verb
The trouble comes when, having ventured on such a tangent, the critic has to lurch back on track. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 His car lurched forward with Miller’s arm still reaching through the window, briefly dragging the cop down the street. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
The beat, provided by live drums, lurches and lumbers, following the knotty runs of notes instead of setting up a pulse. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2026 The lurch from declaring fears about Iran to be mere media exaggerations to invoking imminent threat, from demanding the Nobel Peace Prize to luxuriating in lethality, is the essence of the autocrat’s monopoly on unpredictability. — Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
  1. sway
  2. stagger
  3. washout
  4. shake
  5. collapse
  6. rock
  7. upset
  8. fiasco
Verb
  • There's very little proof that in any election there has been enough absentee ballot fraud to sway a result.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Although his conservative flank has a lock on power, Roberts himself has less sway than ever over an increasingly fractious Court.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sway
Verb
  • Work has already begun on various projects, which are being staggered to avoid closing the museum completely.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The hole gently bends from right to left, with fairway bunkers staggered along both sides.
    — Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of stagger
Noun
  • Similar to today, there will be large gaps of three to four hours between rounds of rain so the day won't be a washout.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But in a world where a few basis points separates legends from washouts, a 10-point edge is an enormous windfall for anyone who trusted Kalshi’s numbers over those crunched by CME, the giant futures-exchange operator.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of washout
Verb
  • First, Murdock recognized the Falcons setting up a screen and then shook off a block attempt by the pulling center and dropped running back Tyler Goodson for no gain.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In quiet spaces, cues on whether the ground is shaking are distorted by our expectations.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Noun
  • Charted out, the twin collapses of the income and inheritance taxes look like a roller coaster careening downhill, picking up speed toward and through the twenty-first century.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Cameron Brink injured in Sparks’ loss Sabrina Ionescu scored 20 points and the New York Liberty avoided one of the biggest collapses in WNBA history, holding off the Sparks 85-81 on Thursday night.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Enjoy your morning coffee or close your eyes and gently rock back and forth while listening to the morning birds in one of the chairs from this Three-piece Rocking Bistro Set.
    — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Fenix rocked El Fiscal with big kicks followed by a moonsault for a nearfall.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of rock
Noun
  • The event also sparks discussion about potential upsets, given recent surprising results in the sport.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • After the Border War resumed last season, the Jayhawks nearly pulled off an upset in Columbia.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of upset
Noun
  • His costly miscalculation exploded into a life-and-death war fiasco that an incompetent and dishonest administration is now incapable of ending.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The fiasco has cost American taxpayers $533 million, according to the Army.
    — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fiasco

Browse Nearby Words

lunkheads
lurch
lurched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lurch

Nglish: Translation of lurch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lurch

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