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
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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
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Recent Examples of lurch
Olivia Enos, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
But since the collapse of the Pac-12 in August 2023, which left OSU athletics in a lurch and ultimately led to the baseball team navigating the 2025 season as an independent, Canham practically sees those tiny rows and cells in his sleep.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
With the stunning reemergence of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic socialists in the New York City mayor’s election, the Democratic Party is lurching even further to the left, leaving them even more alienated and out of touch.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
But leaving so many groups in the lurch without funding and technical support from the U.S. is incredibly consequential.
—Olivia Enos, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
But since the collapse of the Pac-12 in August 2023, which left OSU athletics in a lurch and ultimately led to the baseball team navigating the 2025 season as an independent, Canham practically sees those tiny rows and cells in his sleep.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Noun
Here are 10 candidates to take the permanent job as the Rockies lurch toward a third straight 100-loss season.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
With the stunning reemergence of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic socialists in the New York City mayor’s election, the Democratic Party is lurching even further to the left, leaving them even more alienated and out of touch.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
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Also, a covert foreign influence campaign aimed at swaying public opinion and sowing discord through fake social media posts.—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
-
And as the administrative district judge who sets the judicial rules for the region and helps assign the capital city’s cases, Hippler has sway over who gets picked, Idaho courts spokesperson Nate Poppino told the Idaho Statesman, despite the judge’s public umbrage about receiving the assignment.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
22 July 2025
Verb
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According to the terms of the proposal, the release of the 10 living hostages and 15 bodies will be staggered over the 60-day period the temporary ceasefire is in effect.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 July 2025
-
The victim staggered up to the mezzanine before collapsing at a turnstile, according to an MTA worker.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 July 2025
Noun
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This year could be a washout for the stock market due to lofty tariffs, but 2026 could mark a return to new highs, according to the Wells Fargo Investment Institute.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
11 June 2025
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Rain is set to continue in the Northeast on Thursday as New York City, Boston and Buffalo can expect a washout as the late-season nor'easter moves north along the coast.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić shaking hands after signing bilateral documents during a meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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Nikki Bella and Lola Vice were shaking their hips in the middle of the ring, and Wade Barrett encouraged Michael Cole to show them what he’s got.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Metallica famously initiated the landmark lawsuit against peer-to-peer file sharing company Napster in 2000, which led to further suits that ultimately caused the company's initial collapse.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
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The idea of cutting any deal with Maduro is political dynamite in Florida, where more than 350,000 Venezuelan Americans have made their homes and where emotions over Venezuela’s collapse on the hands of the Maduro regime run deep.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Kenosha rocked by civil unrest The city of Kenosha was rocked by civil unrest in 2020 after a police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, seven times.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
25 July 2025
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Last year, Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con rocked the pop culture convention and broke the internet.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Wimbledon 2025 has featured upsets, unfortunate curfew interferences, faulty electronic line calls and key injuries.—
Jess Bryant,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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And for the bigger names in the draw, the nerves will be greater than at other events, making upsets more commonplace.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Noun
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This fiasco competes with the high-speed rail project for the best way to waste taxpayer dollars.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 July 2025
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The fiasco was immediate and public, but, even after the rout, Kennedy kept pressing the agency to assassinate Castro.—
Keith Gessen,
New Yorker,
16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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