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
Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
When that executive director stumbled, the union was left in a lurch.
—George Atallah, Sportico.com, 31 July 2025
George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
France lurched into a political crisis after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou gambled on a confidence vote, with little hope of any quick solution to fix its ailing public finances, whether a new government or a snap parliamentary election comes next.
—Reuters, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
In July, the federal program was abruptly cut under President Donald Trump’s sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, leaving thousands across Illinois in the lurch.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
When that executive director stumbled, the union was left in a lurch.
—George Atallah, Sportico.com, 31 July 2025
Noun
In just 6 weeks, both long-term rates lurched upwards.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
France lurched into a political crisis after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou gambled on a confidence vote, with little hope of any quick solution to fix its ailing public finances, whether a new government or a snap parliamentary election comes next.
—Reuters, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
-
The outcry wasn’t enough to sway the primary against her.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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To have a chance at winning in November, a Democratic candidate will need to draw independent voters and sway on the fence Republicans, in addition rallying Democrats, Rottinghaus said.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Roughly two-thirds of the state’s billionaires made their fortunes in finance and investments, including richest resident (former NYC mayor) Michael Bloomberg, who’s worth staggering $109 billion.—
Ella Malmgren,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Losing Garcia for any length of time would further stagger an Astros pitching staff that can ill afford any more attrition.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 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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Because of semaglutide's long washout period, treatment should also be stopped at least two months before a planned pregnancy.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On back-to-back pass plays, though, Ward held the ball too long and couldn’t shake the Broncos’ pass rush, resulting in back-to-back sacks that took the Titans outside field goal range.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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After a while, the lady shook her head.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Crypto bubbles lead to crypto collapses.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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Despite those gains, the group still recorded a net loss of $517 million, largely due to the collapse of the Capri acquisition and a write-down at Kate Spade.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Over the past 48 hours, Nepal has been rocked by deadly mass protests led by young people who are frustrated over the country's leadership.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
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The pilots of Delta Flight 56, an Airbus A330, were flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam when violent turbulence rocked the plane near Creston, Wyoming.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, the Tigers managed two top-10 upsets.—
Brady Shanahan,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
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With multiple overtime games, upsets and close calls, Week 2 provided a lot of reasons to shake up this week’s edition of The Athletic 136, just not at the top.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Following that fiasco, Ansari began work on directing a new feature inspired by yet another sociological muse.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
7 Sep. 2025
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Already hacked off by the renovation fiasco, the company’s longtime patrons pounced, accusing the corporation of betraying its history and values.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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