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
Willoughby Mariano, ProPublica, 8 June 2026
Many traders see China’s eventual return to pre-Iran war oil purchasing rates as the key to predicting when oil prices finally lurch higher.
—Devika Krishna Kumar, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
Is this just the usual lurch into the All-Star Break, a comical stretch of lousy basketball karma … or something else?
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
In a December 2024 crash, a bus lurched onto a sidewalk outside Curley K-8 School in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.
—Willoughby Mariano, ProPublica, 8 June 2026
Many traders see China’s eventual return to pre-Iran war oil purchasing rates as the key to predicting when oil prices finally lurch higher.
—Devika Krishna Kumar, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Noun
In fact, the more profound political evolution of modern times has been the Democratic Party’s rapid lurch to the far left — and American voters are starting to notice.
—Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
Is this just the usual lurch into the All-Star Break, a comical stretch of lousy basketball karma … or something else?
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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In congressional races across the country, a new crop of super PACs is taking to the air with millions of dollars worth of advertisements to sway voters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
These thin sheets of lead containing scratches of supernatural desires were used to sway a court case, target a rival, or even a lover, as per Archaeology News.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
To stagger the terms, governors in those three branches were elected this year to one-, two- or three-year terms, with the process reverting to the standard one-governor-per-branch, three-year cycle in 2027.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
Offer flexible or part-time schedules or stagger the return to work.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Overnight rainfall coupled with the arrival of storms Saturday means the region could see a washout.—
Kendrick Calfee
June 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
-
While a few storms will be possible, the current forecast does not suggest a washout.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Canada’s first-ever World Cup win was overshadowed yesterday when midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a broken leg after a tackle that left teammates shaken and coach Jesse Marsch lamenting an injury that turned a night of celebration into one of anguish.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
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In a major rupture, strong shaking could cause severe damage near the fault and in areas built on soft or water-saturated soils, which can amplify shaking.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Such lifting of sanctions all but guarantees that the Iranian regime will be bolstered mere months after protests brought it to the brink of collapse.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
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Firefighters confirmed that the building sustained severe structural damage but ruled out the possibility of a complete collapse.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Lewis set a Guinness World Record for slackline surfing, swaying his feet side to side in a rocking motion that mimics surfing, while keeping his balance above China’s Diaoshuilou waterfall in 2011.—
Russ Bynum,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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Kardashian celebrated the milestone in an emotional Instagram post, which featured a series of photos of North rocking long blue hair and an all-black outfit.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Noun
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The Ivory Coast started its tournament with a 1-0 upset of Ecuador on substitute Amad Diallo’s goal in the 90th minute.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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The Algerians would go on to beat West Germany in the World Cup that year, a considerable upset.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Listen to Forte recall his fringe fiasco in the clip above.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
-
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 21 Jun. 2026.
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