1
as in swayed
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 staggered
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lurched
The escalator lurched to a halt just after the pair got on.
—
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
On Halloween of 2022, just weeks into the new school year, senior Ehni Ler Htoo was making his way through the halls of Proctor High School in Utica, New York, when a fellow student lurched at him from behind, repeatedly plunging a 9-inch hunting knife into his back.
—Tonya Simpson, ABC News, 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
Kirk lurched back and to the left.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Stripped of a reliable majority, Macron's governments have lurched from one showdown to the next.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
As bystanders watched, the luxury yacht lurched to one side, tilting dangerously before taking on water.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In the face of this onslaught, the alcohol industry’s efforts to make drinking popular again have lurched into paranoia.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
In just 6 weeks, both long-term rates lurched upwards.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
On Halloween of 2022, just weeks into the new school year, senior Ehni Ler Htoo was making his way through the halls of Proctor High School in Utica, New York, when a fellow student lurched at him from behind, repeatedly plunging a 9-inch hunting knife into his back.
—Tonya Simpson, ABC News, 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
Kirk lurched back and to the left.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Stripped of a reliable majority, Macron's governments have lurched from one showdown to the next.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
As bystanders watched, the luxury yacht lurched to one side, tilting dangerously before taking on water.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In the face of this onslaught, the alcohol industry’s efforts to make drinking popular again have lurched into paranoia.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
In just 6 weeks, both long-term rates lurched upwards.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurched
Verb
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In the second video, Cabello can be seen singing as Murray and her dad swayed together on the dance floor.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
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Because, in fact, I am usually immediately swayed by whatever intellectual fashion is in the air, and a first draft of any essay is more often than not a cynical and dutiful rehashing of the argument du jour.—
Zadie Smith,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Wounded by multiple gunshots, Barron staggered a little more than 17 feet away from his truck and from Maltos and Olvera, documents said.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Things looked less promising three weeks ago as the Mariners staggered through their second three-city East Coast trip in a month.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At least two people died and dozens were arrested in Morocco, the latest site of Gen Z protests that have rocked countries worldwide.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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Google has been racing to find ways to integrate generative AI into its search engine since OpenAI rocked the tech sector with the launch of its chatbot ChatGPT in late 2022.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The earthquake shook at a depth of just 3 miles, with its epicenter approximately 10 miles south of Trona.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Jean’s father crossed to Wole, shook his hand firmly.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
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The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurched. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
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