1
as in sways
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 staggers
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 lurches
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
Then the vehicle lurches forward again.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
The conversation lurches from the furniture to groceries and health, to the price of fuel and the view out the window.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
And the crowd lurches; the crowd flexes; the crowd feels its core, which is both a sucking emptiness and a site of repellent energy, like the space cleared by a fistfight.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
But as the shutdown lurches through its fifth week, and legislators direct blame at each other, food pantries across the Kansas City area are left to grapple with the fallout.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
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
Then the vehicle lurches forward again.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
The conversation lurches from the furniture to groceries and health, to the price of fuel and the view out the window.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
And the crowd lurches; the crowd flexes; the crowd feels its core, which is both a sucking emptiness and a site of repellent energy, like the space cleared by a fistfight.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
But as the shutdown lurches through its fifth week, and legislators direct blame at each other, food pantries across the Kansas City area are left to grapple with the fallout.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurches
Verb
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As the two hugged, Hayley flashed a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
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From leathery leaves to porcupine-like seedheads to foliage that sways gracefully, perennials offer all kinds of engaging winter interest.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Because of the program's size, the Social Security Administration (SSA) staggers payments across the month to keep the system running smoothly.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
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But Roman breaks free, staggers to his feet and appears to wipe his face, apparently from pepper spray.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Tehran has warned suppliers against hoarding and price gouging as the rial collapses against the dollar, exacerbating public frustration and fueling daily demonstrations.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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Both have endured crippling US sanctions that have precipitated economic collapses.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The fashion guru typically rocks her tried-and-true ashy blonde, occasionally opting for highlights and/or lowlights.—
Tessa Petak,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
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But when a tsunami rocks their island, profound tragedy ensues, and immediately ups the stakes of a brief encounter.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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Record-breaking rains have caused catastrophic washouts, mudslides, and emergency declarations across Washington and northwestern Montana.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Kicking off the Year With Self-Care These days, her morning ritual also includes Premier Protein shakes.—
Leslie D. Rose,
Parents,
6 Jan. 2026
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Berto is seen walking back to his truck, while the Tahoe driver walks toward the front end of the Tahoe, looks down at the bumper and shakes his head before turning to point the firearm at Berto, the affidavit said.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Floridians normally wearing flip flops were bundled up to ring in the new year.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
31 Dec. 2025
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But what happens when such a bold film flops, both critically and commercially, as Jarmusch’s, alas, did?—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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There have been some truly glorious days, none more so than that triumph over Arsenal, when Brian Flynn’s side inflicted one of the biggest FA Cup upsets of all time.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Several underdogs could pull upsets this weekend.—
Neil Greenberg,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurches. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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