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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lurches
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
After a moment of hesitation, Harington lurches forward and plants a passionate kiss on Turner, who responds in kind.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
When, at my photographer’s request, the president approaches the window of his office to open the blinds, his bodyguard lurches forward to close them.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
Sometimes an unexpected event lurches family members into becoming caregivers.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
But Wembanyama is on the short list of MVP favorites as the league lurches toward the playoffs, a list that includes former NBA champions Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of OKC, Denver’s Nikola Jokic along with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Los Angeles’ Luka Doncic.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
After a moment of hesitation, Harington lurches forward and plants a passionate kiss on Turner, who responds in kind.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Feb. 2026
When, at my photographer’s request, the president approaches the window of his office to open the blinds, his bodyguard lurches forward to close them.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
Sometimes an unexpected event lurches family members into becoming caregivers.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurches
Verb
-
Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In addition, the NFL argued that the NFLPA refused to share important information about its survey, including methodology such as whether the data is weighted or averaged, and how qualitative feedback sways results.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The first 10 minutes of the film are set in Norms, where a grungy man staggers in with a bomb, ranting about artificial intelligence.—
Fielding Buck,
Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Previous bear markets followed explicit collapses, like the fall of FTX in November 2022.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Power that relies on repetition collapses when the pattern is named.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
No one rocks a short haircut quite like Halle Berry.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Lawrence rocks this statement piece by pairing it with more casual items like a simple black tote bag, a beanie, and a pair of neutral colored pants.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Expectations going up after two straight Playoff washouts.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
Texas starter Citlaly Gutierrez shakes it off and doesn't allow another hit, but the Cougars draw first blood.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The shop also offers coffee drinks, milk shakes, banana pudding and ice cream cookie sandwiches.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Though, this being New Zealand, the flip flops may still go down just fine.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Flip-flops are great for the pool and beach, but supportive sandals are necessary for lots of walking around properties that are typically spread out across a lot of acreage.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Athletes from all over the world have seen their fair share of drama, stunning upsets and emotional moments.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
-
With group play running through late February, the semifinal picture is still fluid — but there haven’t been many shock upsets yet.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurches. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
