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
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Recent Examples of lurch
Claire Galofaro, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
As one officer reaches for the SUV's door handle, the vehicle lurches backward and then begins moving forward, rightward, seemingly away from the officers.
—Justin Gomez, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
PC Magazine, 17 Nov. 2025
OpenAI may have little choice but to undergo this commercial lurch.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
Three seconds later, the Honda crashes into a parked car with such force its tires fly off the street, the pile of cars lurches forward several feet and snow billows.
—Claire Galofaro, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
As one officer reaches for the SUV's door handle, the vehicle lurches backward and then begins moving forward, rightward, seemingly away from the officers.
—Justin Gomez, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
Noun
Professionals who rely on drones for business, farmers who use them to monitor fields, and law enforcement officers who use them for search and rescue are left in a similar lurch.
—PC Magazine, 17 Nov. 2025
OpenAI may have little choice but to undergo this commercial lurch.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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Australian scientists believe increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures are swaying sharks' migratory patterns, which may be contributing to a rise in attacks.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Millennials, resolute in their fatigue, are less swayed by surface-level marketing and more attuned to what actually makes work sustainable.—
Jasmine Browley,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Layoffs will be staggered through the site’s closure on April 29.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The pools are staggered across levels (some adults-only), and there are connecting rooms and kid-friendly food.—
Jonnie Bayfield,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Expectations going up after two straight Playoff washouts.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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In optimal conditions, most vehicles can make it, but high clearance is strongly recommended—especially in winter and after storms, when washouts, flooding, or snow accumulation are possible.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The dust-up came during a break in the proceedings, when activist and Army veteran Ivan Raiklin approached former cop Michael Fanone to shake his hand.—
Brian Niemietz,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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This horrific violence will not shake my belief in the importance of peacefully resolving disputes.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That year, the Port of Baltimore was hampered by the collapse of the Frances Scott Key Bridge.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Oil revenue is a key part of Russia's economy, allowing President Vladimir Putin to pour money into the war effort against Ukraine without worsening inflation and avoiding a currency collapse.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After nearly a year and a half without a permanent leader as pro-Palestinian protests and extraordinary federal scrutiny rocked its campus, Columbia University on Sunday tapped Jennifer Mnookin, the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as its next president.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
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The timeless style was the third time Princess Charlotte rocked the look in four weeks.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Missing most of the same players who sat out that overtime upset of the 76ers earlier this month, Denver pulled off another short-handed heist Friday with a 102-100 win over the Bucks.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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Bodø/Glimt, a Norwegian club in its first Champions League season, delivered one of the competition’s biggest upsets in the victory.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The second half of the series is Ben Kingsley reprising his role as Trevor Slattery, the actor character who played The Mandarin in Iron Man 3, attempting to redeem himself after that fiasco.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The parking meter fiasco has been back in the news this week because that original consortium put the deal up for sale and why not?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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