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
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
As one officer reaches for the SUV's door handle, the vehicle lurches backward and then begins moving forward, rightward, seemingly away from the officers.
—Justin Gomez, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
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
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
As one officer reaches for the SUV's door handle, the vehicle lurches backward and then begins moving forward, rightward, seemingly away from the officers.
—Justin Gomez, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurches
Verb
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Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Sunday's vote was seen as a key test of whether the EU member nation stays on its liberal course or sways toward the right.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Like many Florida school districts, OCPS staggers start times to most efficiently use its school buses and drivers.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
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The first 10 minutes of the film are set in Norms, where a grungy man staggers in with a bomb, ranting about artificial intelligence.—
Fielding Buck,
Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Its teams in 2007-08, 2013-14 and 2022-23 were in first place for long stretches of the season, only for late collapses to allow the title to slip away.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
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Meanwhile, as trust in journalism collapses and most of the actual reporting disappears behind paywalls, readers head straight for the comment sections, which seem more like the voice of the people than anything written by a reporter — except many of those commenters may not be people at all.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Gillian Jacobs rocks a navy pinstripe matching set to the Invisible FYC event in Los Angeles on May 17.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Noun
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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.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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On the other hand, cool‑season sod farmers usually grow Kentucky bluegrass, which germinates slowly compared to other turfgrass species, increasing the risk of washouts.—
Ryan Bearss,
The Conversation,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her daytime meals are pretty consistent and include yogurts, protein bars, protein shakes and protein pasta.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) shakes hands with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in Beijing, China, May 6, 2026.—
May 6,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Noun
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One of Sisto’s favorite ways to incorporate color is through accessories like the Project Cloud Flip-flops in a bold red, which add an effortless statement to otherwise simple outfits.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
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There have been hits from both the indie and major studio, but the number of flops has far outnumberd the success stories.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Noun
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This 500-level event drew a smattering of US and Australia players, but was mostly competed by the core Asia contingent of pros and featured a slew of upsets and surprises along the way.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Georgia Democrats are also looking to build off of November 2025 general election results that saw two challengers flip seats on the state's Public Service Commission with about 63% of the vote in landslide upsets.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurches. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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