lurch 1 of 2

verb

ˈlərch How to pronounce lurch (audio)
Definition of lurchnext
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

lurch

2 of 2

noun

as in washout

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lurch
Verb
Markets have lurched up and down as oil prices shot higher because of the war with Iran. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 The trouble comes when, having ventured on such a tangent, the critic has to lurch back on track. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Noun
The beat, provided by live drums, lurches and lumbers, following the knotty runs of notes instead of setting up a pulse. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2026 The lurch from declaring fears about Iran to be mere media exaggerations to invoking imminent threat, from demanding the Nobel Peace Prize to luxuriating in lethality, is the essence of the autocrat’s monopoly on unpredictability. — Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lurch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurch
  1. sway
  2. stagger
  3. washout
  4. shake
  5. collapse
  6. rock
  7. upset
  8. fiasco
Verb
  • With the challenges of supply chains and higher prices on retailers’ hands, shoppers are highly attuned to these considerations and can be swayed by retailers who demonstrate their ability to deliver on time and as promised.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Ingredients That Derail a Healthy Breakfast One factor that can sway the debate in oatmeal versus peanut butter toast is the other ingredients these foods may contain.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sway
Verb
  • As the deli’s surveillance video rolled, his client went from calmly standing at the counter with a bottle of Gatorade to staggering to the floor, clutching his leg and tearing at his pants.
    — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Biden called for reforms, too, in his final year, recommending that the Court’s Justices be limited to eighteen-year terms, staggered so that Presidents could appoint one every two years.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of stagger
Noun
  • Residents of the nearby River Road Apartments near there were encouragedto evacuate last night due to erosion caused by the washout.
    — Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Similar to today, there will be large gaps of three to four hours between rounds of rain so the day won't be a washout.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of washout
Verb
  • Beck didn’t participate in the book, but Riesman finds enough friends, family and associates to assemble a complex portrait of an artist who wants his audiences to see him as fashion-forward but has had a hard time shaking his past.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Thunderous applause may greet one documentary premiering at the Venice Film Festival, fitting for a story of athletes who shake the earth with every footfall.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Noun
  • Escaping an energy collapse Things didn’t collapse as analysts feared at the beginning of the conflict.
    — Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The letter provides the most complete window into Kapoor’s thinking since the collapse of his company, Location Ventures, three years ago.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • His music, a blend of charismatic and electrifying punk and post-punk, provided the hard-rocking moment of the entire three-and-a-half-hour evening.
    — David Chiu, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Roan later took to the stage in a purple miniskirt ensemble, rocking a bob.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of rock
Noun
  • Julian Rauch’s 24-yard field goal with 26 seconds left puts the Mountaineers ahead of the Wolverines and Corey Lynch blocks a field goal in the final seconds to seal one of college football’s biggest upsets.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There are quite a few high-profile match ups on the docket for week one, and with that comes the inevitability of upsets.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of upset
Noun
  • The wedding invitation fiasco comes just days after Kelce opened up about his and Swift’s special day.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Though the reason for Marte’s initial absence remains unknown publicly — the Diamondbacks were so blindsided by it that he was scratched only minutes before Monday’s game — the team seemed eager to move on from the fiasco.
    — Marc Carig, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fiasco

Browse Nearby Words

lunkheads
lurch
lurched
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Cite this Entry

“Lurch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurch. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lurch

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