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
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 24 Sep. 2025
That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurches
Verb
-
One call sways the difference of the game.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Hayley then flashes a strip of sonogram photos at the camera as the couple smiles and sways in the sunlight.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Make the most of the shoulder seasons Almost all schools in England enjoy the long summer break at the same time (unlike in Scotland, which staggers its school vacation time for each region).—
Lottie Gross,
AFAR Media,
29 Aug. 2025
-
The agency staggers payments across the month to manage the large volume of recipients.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Avoiding collapses like the fourth quarter on Saturday will be paramount in doing so.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The recent collapses were a result of hurricanes Humberto and Imelda, which made a mess of the Atlantic Ocean in the coastal waters off the Outer Banks.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Continue reading … HONOR CODE BUST – Navy scandal rocks Democratic candidate as new poll shows gubernatorial race tied.—
,
FOXNews.com,
26 Sep. 2025
-
When a Palestinian teenager gets swept up into a protest in the occupied West Bank and experiences a moment of violence that rocks his family, his mother recounts the political and emotional threads that led to that fateful moment.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The storm also left people trapped in seven vehicles on nearby roads after overflowing creeks caused washouts, deputies said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The agency expects to hire 8,900 new air traffic controllers by 2028, but because of factors like attrition, retirements and program washouts, this will only result in 1,000 more certified controllers, according to FAA documents.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The work captures life between Mount Vesuvius and the Gulf of Naples, where the ground shakes periodically and the fumaroles of the Phlegraean Fields taint the air.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The roar starts before the lights go down — a low, collective thunder that shakes the arena floor.—
Crystal Bell,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Bush are flops that remain well worth a chuckle.—
Will Leitch,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Styled with chic flip flops, Howie's woman demonstrates that kicking back on a getaway can also be a style statement.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Of those upsets, 20 had rematches the following season (with three more to come this year, starting with Bama-Vandy and including Michigan-Ohio State).—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
There were only two upsets this week, with Indiana thrashing Illinois 63-10 and Texas Tech knocking off Utah 34-10.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurches. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share