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
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Verb
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
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Noun
Newsom, who has appeared on Real Time, could benefit from a lurch toward the middle, Maher told The California Post.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
Verb
-
Of all the factors that could sway Giannis, with all due respect to Bam, the respect element likely is not at the top of the list.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
But during the aufguss ceremony at BASIN Glacial Waters, people smiled and laughed and swayed to the music, and Kyan’s dance-like towel moves distracted me from the discomfort of the heat.—
Jen Murphy,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Space the shrubs a little further apart, then stagger them so the back row screens your view.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
-
The Chiefs staggered throughout the campaign and looked like a husk of their usual, dominant selves.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
There will be several chances for rain across Maryland Wednesday through early next week, but none of the days are looking like washouts.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
This is an ideal grass for patching after a washout.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Players were visibly shaken, as were many in the stands, as medical staff from both teams and EMS placed him on a stretcher and carted him off the field.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Rinse under cold water 1 minute, shaking to ensure a thorough rinse.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The collapse of the government is unlikely to significantly affect Latvia’s foreign policy, as all mainstream parties are some variant of pro-Ukraine and anti-Russia.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
-
This explains why companies did not experience a commercial-traffic collapse.—
Ming Zhu,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
To accentuate her silver metallic gown, Twain rocked rocked full bangs teamed with long auburn tresses.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
-
Nobody can rock the boat with quite the same deft moves as she.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
With some teams on the metaphorical beach and others preparing for European finals, there could be even more scope for upsets than is usually the case in the final stages.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The Broncos’ ability to pull off the upset will depend on limiting penalties, and multiple big strikes from Justin Herbert, who figures to improve under former Smoky Hill grad Mike McDaniels.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The fiasco left aspiring translators in Korea, most of them people of color, with one less route into the profession, further enabling white people’s social and actual capital to be kept within their possession.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The fiasco played out for days and led to in-depth reviews at both the BBC and BAFTA.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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