1
as in swaying
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 staggering
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 lurching
These are some of the heaviest grooves that Seefeel have created in ages, channeling lurching currents through intricate chains of dub delay.
—
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 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
Another neighbor recalled an elevator lurching between floors.
—Elle McLogan, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Still, morale is much worse compared with December 2024, before DOGE took aim at the health agency's budgets and staffing, and before rounds of lurching job cuts and reinstatements left thousands of CDC workers in limbo or severed from their careers.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
There are plenty of differences, but the stability Atleti have fostered in sticking with Simeone stands in stark contrast to Spurs’ habit of lurching between managers, styles and approaches.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Brant, who was elected in a special election in August, inherited an office already in disarray, in a county that has spent the past year lurching from one government crisis to the next.
—Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 19 Feb. 2026
Hence the lurching shift in financing.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 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
Another neighbor recalled an elevator lurching between floors.
—Elle McLogan, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Still, morale is much worse compared with December 2024, before DOGE took aim at the health agency's budgets and staffing, and before rounds of lurching job cuts and reinstatements left thousands of CDC workers in limbo or severed from their careers.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
There are plenty of differences, but the stability Atleti have fostered in sticking with Simeone stands in stark contrast to Spurs’ habit of lurching between managers, styles and approaches.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Brant, who was elected in a special election in August, inherited an office already in disarray, in a county that has spent the past year lurching from one government crisis to the next.
—Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register, 19 Feb. 2026
Hence the lurching shift in financing.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurching
Verb
-
The sensation of swaying high above the ground might be impossible to quell at the World Cup.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
-
The stream ended abruptly, but not before cameras captured Peters’ eyes seemingly rolling back in his head and his body swaying.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hands and small heads.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The works depicted broken figures staggering toward the viewer in ragged uniforms — in distorted sizes, giant hand and small heads.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
There is appreciation for not rocking the boat.—
Eric Adler
May 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
-
And the Sabres are basically rocking the lite version of that, with Benson and Doan.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
This meant slowly shuffling into the wilderness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
At 2-0 down, and with Nuno Espirito Santo shuffling to a back-four, there was a flicker of a pulse and two decent saves from Nick Pope.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The other shows the two world leaders shaking hands.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
Rinse under cold water 1 minute, shaking to ensure a thorough rinse.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Customers also appreciated the easy setup, with one person commenting that weaving the leaves throughout the macramé details helped create a fuller, more natural look.—
Kate Donovan,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
-
Variety spoke with Levy and Bright about the decision behind weaving Dean and Allie into Season 1, the NIL landscape that forced their hand on some of the book’s most popular plot points and what Hunter Davenport’s early arrival signals about where this show is going.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurching. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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