lurch
1an act or instance of swaying abruptly.
an awkward, swaying or staggering motion or gait.
a sudden tip or roll to one side, as of a ship or a staggering person.
to make a lurch; move with lurches; stagger: The wounded man lurched across the room.
(of a ship) to roll or pitch suddenly.
Origin of lurch
1Other words for lurch
Other words from lurch
- lurch·ing·ly, adverb
Words Nearby lurch
Other definitions for lurch (2 of 3)
a situation at the close of various games in which the loser scores nothing or is far behind the opponent.
Origin of lurch
2Other definitions for lurch (3 of 3)
British Dialect. to lurk near a place; prowl.
Archaic. to do out of; defraud; cheat.
Obsolete. to acquire through underhanded means; steal; filch.
Archaic. the act of lurking or state of watchfulness.
Origin of lurch
3Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lurch in a sentence
She considered quitting, but didn’t want to leave her co-producer and other show staff members in the lurch.
In the latest episode of Groundhog Day, Congress failed to reach a deal on a stimulus package, leaving investors—not to mention millions of struggling American families—in the lurch.
What the markets want for Christmas: for starters, a trillion in stimulus spending | Bernhard Warner | December 18, 2020 | FortuneWhen in doubt, go for the best air fryer with a higher capacity, so you’re not left in the lurch if you find yourself in need of quickly preparing a party-size batch of food.
There were weird lurches forward and back in the aid people got.
U.S. economy recoups two-thirds of ground lost in first half of year, but there is still far to go | Rachel Siegel, Andrew Van Dam | October 29, 2020 | Washington PostBesides the users, the ban also left more than 200,000 influencers in the lurch.
Indian TikTok copycats are hardly a match for the real deal | Ananya Bhattacharya | August 20, 2020 | Quartz
That will leave troops in a lurch when the F-35 eventually becomes the only game in town.
Newest U.S. Stealth Fighter ‘10 Years Behind’ Older Jets | Dave Majumdar | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut his lumbering lurch toward the Ted Cruz tin-foil-hat convention should instead be an object lesson for Republicans to come.
The crowd began to lurch violently, as small motions rippled out into panicked attempts to break away.
The War Inside: Terrorism & Teenhood in ‘No Dawn Without Darkness’ | Hugh Ryan | August 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe United States cannot simply walk away from the plain meaning of the Budapest Memorandum and leave Ukraine in the lurch.
Obama Must Show He’ll Use Military Means to Deter Russia in Ukraine | Leslie H. Gelb | March 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSo as we lurch toward the next “fail-safe” milestone, there must be a way out for both sides.
Then came the turn of the Manchesters, left in the lurch, with their right flank hanging in the air.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton"Happier—and safer," she said gravely, the canoe giving a dangerous lurch as she leaned forward in her seat to catch my answer.
Three More John Silence Stories | Algernon BlackwoodThey had not pulled fifty yards from their late home when she gave a sudden lurch to port and went down stern foremost.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands | R.M. BallantyneNow and then a lurch of the train flung her against Harney, and through her thin muslin she felt the touch of his sleeve.
Summer | Edith WhartonHe woke up in time to lurch after her and he got his shoulder into the door-opening before she could slide it shut.
The Stars, My Brothers | Edmond Hamilton
British Dictionary definitions for lurch (1 of 3)
/ (lɜːtʃ) /
to lean or pitch suddenly to one side
to stagger or sway
the act or an instance of lurching
Origin of lurch
1Derived forms of lurch
- lurching, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for lurch (2 of 3)
/ (lɜːtʃ) /
leave someone in the lurch to desert someone in trouble
cribbage the state of a losing player with less than 30 points at the end of a game (esp in the phrase in the lurch)
Origin of lurch
2British Dictionary definitions for lurch (3 of 3)
/ (lɜːtʃ) /
(intr) archaic, or dialect to prowl or steal about suspiciously
Origin of lurch
3Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with lurch
see leave in the lurch.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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