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
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Recent Examples of lurch
Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
The film lurches between scenes of lush romantic melodrama and moments of Grand Guignol bloodletting.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Roth approached the man — later identified as 29-year-old Gustavo Rojas — and his heart lurched.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
And Americans who want a Covid booster are left in a lurch because Kennedy’s antipathy now limits what is covered by insurance plans.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
The film lurches between scenes of lush romantic melodrama and moments of Grand Guignol bloodletting.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
The escalator lurched to a halt just after the pair got on.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Roth approached the man — later identified as 29-year-old Gustavo Rojas — and his heart lurched.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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In another video, which Anaver shared on Facebook two days later, the interior of his home could be seen swaying back and forth.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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The final shot sees Tom gazing out the window as a curtain gently sways in the warm breeze.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To get by offensively, Rajaković is going to have to stagger his prolific scorers pretty strongly.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
To avoid the logistical logjams that had been predicted, the rollout is being staggered.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Market breadth was negative but not a washout, new 52-week highs were still well ahead of new lows.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
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The storm also left people trapped in seven vehicles on nearby roads after overflowing creeks caused washouts, deputies said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Whether the Canes can get to 10-2 will likely depend on if Beck can shake off his four-interception nightmare.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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The new coach shook hands, smiled for cell phone pictures and signed posters for wave after wave of kids.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But officials reported the collapse took down power lines and utility poles in the area caused power failure to surrounding homes and businesses.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
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One of them was there’s a real stadium collapse, a terrible story, that this was inspired by.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hargitay, who is fresh off the press tour for her directorial debut My Mom, Jayne, was in full Olivia Benson gear, rocking an all-black outfit and boots.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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Her creations most recently made an appearance at the 2025 Met Gala, with celebs such as Lewis Hamilton and Jeff Goldblum rocking her looks.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Nothing should be taken for granted, but with only Syracuse, NC State, Boston College and Pitt left on their ACC slate, the Yellow Jackets would likely have to absorb two significant upsets to miss out on the ACC title game.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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Louisville should climb into the rankings after pulling off the upset.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Of course, if Jarrett doesn’t make it to Cologne in time, or if Vera can’t find the right piano for him before the curtain goes up, the whole thing could easily turn into a life-defining fiasco.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
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The fiasco became a central focus of the sole debate between the two Virginia candidates last week.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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