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
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
2 June 2026
By the end, Noonan’s film stops feeling like a first date and starts to resemble the makings of a crime scene as his mood lurches toward something dangerous.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Republicans’ hopes of holding on to their slim majorities in the House and Senate may well hinge on the cost at the pump as the war against Iran lurches into its second week.
—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
The film unhurriedly lurches from one markedly similar fight scene to the next, with only Skeletor’s occasional injections of ripe innuendo to liven them up a bit.
—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
2 June 2026
By the end, Noonan’s film stops feeling like a first date and starts to resemble the makings of a crime scene as his mood lurches toward something dangerous.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Republicans’ hopes of holding on to their slim majorities in the House and Senate may well hinge on the cost at the pump as the war against Iran lurches into its second week.
—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurches
Verb
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As the water sways and the flowers blow, 120 wooden crosses now line the Guadalupe River in Kerr County.
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In its dynamic equilibrium, our system sways like a grand old tree in the wind.
Verb
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Steely and deliberate songwriting that casually staggers down the line between rhythm and melody, laced with loose yet conscious jams.
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Like many Florida school districts, OCPS staggers start times to most efficiently use its school buses and drivers.
Noun
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Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced.
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First responders handled two rescues in 24 hours after workers were trapped in separate construction trench collapses in Oakland County, Michigan.
Verb
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Andra Day rocks denim trousers to the Inside the Afties event presented by Amazon Music during the Cannes Lions Festival in France on June 24.
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In photos from the spread by photographer Rafael Pavarotti shared on Instagram, Madonna rocks a pale pink corset over a white leotard that peeks out the bottom and top.
Noun
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The two subsequent washouts have given Sri Lanka a 1-0 series victory.
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There will be several chances for rain across Maryland Wednesday through early next week, but none of the days are looking like washouts.
Verb
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Huel offers nutritionally complete protein shakes as meal replacements.
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The room shakes, and my mug falls to the ground.
Noun
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Let’s make a little detour here to talk about some of the logistics of these monumental computing systems, with the understanding that ENIAC, built in the middle of the twentieth century, ran at about 500 flops.
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Those numbers, which dribble out over the weekend and are sometimes strategically leaked to show momentum (or, in some cases, flops-in-waiting), form the backbone of the entertainment industry’s narrative-driving machine.
Noun
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The first round of group-play matches have also been exciting, likely juicing demand, with one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history and stellar performances by football’s biggest stars, including Lionel Messi’s hat trick of goals for Argentina.
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What followed in Seoul on May 31, 2002 was one of the great World Cup upsets, the reigning champions beaten by Papa Bouba Diop’s goal.
Cite this Entry
“Lurches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurches. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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