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
Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
Many San Diego families and local employers were thrown into a lurch during the strike, which lasted just over one week in February 1996.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.
—Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
OpenAI may have little choice but to undergo this commercial lurch.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
Many San Diego families and local employers were thrown into a lurch during the strike, which lasted just over one week in February 1996.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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Her efforts have thus far not swayed the Senate, which has chosen instead to advance two alternative tax relief bills introduced by state Sens.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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Long, swaying motion was widely reported, with additional aftershocks continuing through late morning.—
Anthony Trotter,
ABC News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Its board of directors has six seats, with elections staggered so that half of the board turns over at a time.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
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Multiple batteries can address longer gaps in energy production when their discharges are staggered.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 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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Light shaking was detected, and people in several cities - including Hercules, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont - reported feeling the tremor, according to the USGS DYFI report.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Trim the dead parts, shake the soil off, and store them in a cool, dark location where they are protected from the cold.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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From the perspective of a world of increasingly unimaginable maldistribution of resources, cascading ecological collapse, a genocide cheered on by a putatively liberal order, both are barbarisms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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The letter, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, comes just days before al-Sharaa’s first visit to Washington since taking power following the collapse of the Assad regime.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Harbaugh is now the top coach on a market rocked by his availability.—
Mark Maske,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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After rocking her signature long locks for years, the Ocean's Eight actress went for the big chop this fall and is now sporting a lob.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While Canada will face Guatemala, the team that pulled an upset on the Canadians in the Gold Cup quarterfinals, on January 17, more important pre-World Cup matches loom.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Ole Miss earned its spot with an upset of its own — over SEC foe Georgia — but the Hurricanes’ defensive front is arguably the best in the nation.—
Keven Lerner,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One of his conclusions after all that government service was that Congress had scraped too much power away from the presidency after the fiasco of Vietnam and scandal of Watergate.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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According to a post on the Reddit Wedding Shaming forum, a woman detailed the fiasco surrounding her cousin’s wedding.—
Emily Strohm,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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