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
Wembanyama lurched forward, toppled and slammed the right side of his face on the floor.
—
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
When robots lurched, slipped, and occasionally froze mid-stride at the 2026 Beijing half-marathon on April 19, the internet quickly turned the spectacle into a meme.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Don’t gag, don’t cry — and my stomach lurched.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Over the course of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s term, CPS has lurched from budget crisis to budget crisis, able only to muddle through due to record-breaking mayoral declarations of tax-increment-financing surpluses.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Then, just as abruptly, the plane lurched up, slamming everyone back to the ground.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
According to prosecutors, when other drivers honked at him, Alvardo woke up and lurched his vehicle forward, striking 70-year-old crossing guard John Miro, who was on the sidewalk at Sunrise Highway and Merrick Avenue.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
The big polar bear lurched forward, hitting top speed in two strides.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
When robots lurched, slipped, and occasionally froze mid-stride at the 2026 Beijing half-marathon on April 19, the internet quickly turned the spectacle into a meme.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Don’t gag, don’t cry — and my stomach lurched.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
Since then, the larger culture has lurched rightward, with big corporations abandoning progressive signaling in favor of…other priorities.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Over the course of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s term, CPS has lurched from budget crisis to budget crisis, able only to muddle through due to record-breaking mayoral declarations of tax-increment-financing surpluses.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Then, just as abruptly, the plane lurched up, slamming everyone back to the ground.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
According to prosecutors, when other drivers honked at him, Alvardo woke up and lurched his vehicle forward, striking 70-year-old crossing guard John Miro, who was on the sidewalk at Sunrise Highway and Merrick Avenue.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
The big polar bear lurched forward, hitting top speed in two strides.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurched
Verb
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They were swayed by a local program launched by city-LAB UCLA, a center founded by the University of California, Los Angeles' Architecture and Urban Design Department, which included a showcase of six prefab housing options and a guide to help navigate the process and secure financing.—
Vanessa Romo,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
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The criticism, from Shirley, his supporters, and California Republicans, has not swayed Democratic state lawmakers.—
Andrew Graham
April 26,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The transition has to be staggered.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Together the strangers slung Haridasse's arms over their shoulders and staggered to the finish line as a trio.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Haitian immigrants became eligible after an earthquake rocked the country in 2010.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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Zack Bolduc and Cole Caufield, on the power play, had spotted Montreal a 2-0 lead as the Bell Centre absolutely rocked again in the anticipation and hope that perhaps their team might take a 3-1 lead over the favoured Lightning.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Minutes into the execution, the team warden briefly flicked Hitchcock‘s face and yelled his name twice and shook his shoulders.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
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Bukele shook off his delusions of being the emperor of social media and abandoned his bullying tactics in the face of the biggest bully.—
Óscar Martínez,
The Dial,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
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We are jerked between past and present as his backstory gets filled in, one jogged memory at a time.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurched. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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