Thesaurus results for LURCHING

lurching

verb

present participle of lurch

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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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

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 lurching In 1932, Carlos (Milo Quifes) is a young man in Grenada at a time when Spain is lurching uncomfortably towards an ever-increasing spiteful intolerance of homosexuality. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 Maybe this is what the Chargers are — lurching, sputtering and unable to consistently move the football, despite an offensive overhaul packed with lofty expectations. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 One more try and the orchestra slides up the expressive contrast a few notches to intensify the feeling of lurching from mood to mood. — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 Still, there is no working around the fact that a manual transmission is a pain in traffic – with the endless clutching and shifting and lurching forward in first gear. — Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026 There followed an uncomfortable, lurching ride in a rickety old coach. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 The United States, which had been lurching toward entry in the Second World War, was suddenly and inescapably thrust into global conflict. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026 Republicans see Democrats lurching to the left and embracing socialism as an opening to link their opponents to the far more radical communism. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026 The same boom-and-bust dependency on the oil industry, whose profits were now funnelled through the regime and its allies, kept the country lurching from one crisis to the next. — Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurching

Verb

The observer at the edge of the dance-floor, secretly swaying with the rhythm.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
But the man simply stood there with a dazed expression on his face, swaying gently in the living room of their small, cramped flat, like a lone tree in the breeze.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of swaying

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
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

Definition of staggering

Verb

Ahead of rocking the Pond with its classic hits, the famed norteño band brought its signature sound and activism to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
The last slide of the carousel features a video of himself rocking a sleeping newborn.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of rocking

Verb

Green tea was served by gang members shuffling around in slippers.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.

— Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of shuffling

Verb

There’s seat-shaking violence in how the whale breaches the surface and slams its weight back down (the crafty sound design is by James Miller) and body horror in its claustrophobic, spongy inner chambers.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Just below the broad smile he’s been wearing all morning, John Ternus’ hands are shaking.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of shaking

Verb

With a bigger budget from Netflix, Sy and Leterrier leaned further into the show’s superhero-like qualities, expanding its universe beyond the novels of Maurice Leblanc and weaving some futuristic elements.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
By weaving these stories together, Cuarón used the epic’s themes of exile and separation to provide a fresh take on Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel.

— Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaving

Browse Nearby Words

lurches

lurching

lure

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“Lurching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurching. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lurching

verb

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