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
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
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
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
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
-
Look for a silhouette that has a little movement, like this wide-leg pair, for a cropped hemline that sways above loafers, sneakers, and ballet flats.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That sways decisions from time-to-time.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Battalion Chief Shawn Tacklind said crews were worried about interior collapses due to the damage from the fire.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As the marginal cost of thinking collapses, the scope of what organizations can afford to analyze expands dramatically.—
Michael Wystrach,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Finally comes Mia, who rocks it.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The two embrace, and Benson rocks Riley gently.—
Alex Ross,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 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
-
Also, unlike Premier Protein shakes, Fairlife shakes are suitable for anybody who’s lactose intolerant.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The bulletin highlights the case of James Craig, who was convicted in July of poisoning his wife’s protein shakes with a mix of cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, the medication used in eye drops.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But the company also notched some notable flops.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
If, on the other hand, the movie flops, Jeff Bezos better start looking into $400 million airliners.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Or are there a couple of twists — as well as upsets — in the cards?—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The results were not ideal — at least not for the 374 Manchester City fans who traveled to the fishing town north of the Arctic Circle only to see their team suffer one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurches. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
