1
as in to sway
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 to stagger
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
as in washout
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 lurch
Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
The film lurches between scenes of lush romantic melodrama and moments of Grand Guignol bloodletting.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
And Americans who want a Covid booster are left in a lurch because Kennedy’s antipathy now limits what is covered by insurance plans.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
The film lurches between scenes of lush romantic melodrama and moments of Grand Guignol bloodletting.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
Roth approached the man — later identified as 29-year-old Gustavo Rojas — and his heart lurched.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
-
Many in the crowd of nearly 200 people clapped to the tempo and swayed to the beat.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Her potential ascension to the budget panel was repeatedly highlighted by her campaign in 2020 as a way to sway Maine's fickle - and often decisive - independent voting bloc.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
They are elected to four-year terms, with elections staggered every two years.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Then the Dodgers stopped by in October for an NLDS heavyweight title bout — and the Phillies are already staggering through a standing 8-count.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Market breadth was negative but not a washout, new 52-week highs were still well ahead of new lows.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
With the final seconds ticking away and the Chiefs’ 30-17 triumph over the Detroit Lions sealed, KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes was looking to shake the hand of Lions safety Brian Branch.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Because the building was shaking.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
More than two years of war have left Gaza in ruins, triggering famine and the collapse of essential infrastructure.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
-
His debut novel, Satantango, published in 1985, followed the collapse of a rural community in Hungary, while more recent works, including the novels The Prisoner of Urga and Destruction and Sorrow Beneath the Heavens, were inspired by the author’s travels to Mongolia and China.—
Paige Bruton,
semafor.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mass protests in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines in recent years have also rocked South and Southeast Asia as young people fight against poverty and corruption.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Also at the game was Travis Kelce's fiancée, Taylor Swift, who rocked an outfit that screamed Chiefs pride.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Carolina Panthers pulled off the upset of the week with a three-point win over the Dallas Cowboys.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The Bills are looking to rebound from their first loss of the season last week, while the Falcons are hoping to pull off an upset to move to 3-2 coming out of the bye week.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After the fiasco at the party, Stacey attempts to make inroads with the group by reconnecting with Wendy first, despite Wendy having led the charge to ask questions about her personal life on the reunion stage.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Before this cost-cutting fiasco, Tesla already was having a rough go of it.—
Patrick George,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share