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
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
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
Verb
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
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
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Narrative warfare sways public sentiment long before a bullet is fired.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Oct. 2025
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The final shot sees Tom gazing out the window as a curtain gently sways in the warm breeze.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The logistical feat those intrepid women accomplished staggers the mind of any contemporary author.—
Adrian Miller,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
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For his part, Gonzalez staggers outside and falls to his knees.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Migration to the southern border, perhaps the most powerful current in American politics today, is already being driven partly by ecological collapses in Central American farm economies.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
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The collapses are happening on a thin, sparsely populated stretch of coast.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Adapted from the first book in Herron's Zoë Boehm series, Down Cemetery Road follows Sarah Trafford (Wilson), a woman who becomes obsessed with the sudden disappearance of her young neighbor after a house explosion rocks their neighborhood.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
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Bethenny Frankel rocks a baby blue dress at the RoC Skincare Lip Volumizer Pop Up Event in Los Angeles.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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Where to Eat Breakfast Coffee lovers will want to fuel up for a day exploring Coconut Creek at Cali Coffee, a South Florida drive-thru coffee chain known for its frozen drinks, refreshers, shakes, and more.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
10 Nov. 2025
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Advertisement Back at the bookstore, the hilarity gives way to a confrontation that shakes Lee to his core.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, a string of box office flops led 20th Century Fox to sell off much of its backlot, just north of the 10 Freeway, to real estate developers in 1961, creating what would be Century City.—
Oren Peleg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
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Blasena emphasizes that lighting and draping that eliminates unsightly walls can make a space feel intimate, while a focal bar, signature cocktails, a photo booth, and late-night tchotchkes, such as glow sticks, flashing glasses, and flip flops, can amp up the atmosphere.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Green Bay was on the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in years last Sunday, losing to the Panthers as two-touchdown underdogs.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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All six of those teams have either two or three total conference games left on their schedule, so the chances for those upsets to take place are minimal.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurches. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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