lurch

/lɜrtʃ/
verb
  1. To make a sudden, unsteady movement forward or sideways.
    • He lurched across the room after stubbing his toe.
    • The boat lurched violently in the stormy waves.
    • The bus lurched forward as the driver hit the brakes.
  2. To move or behave in a clumsy, staggering, or unpredictable way.
    • The toddler lurched toward the table, grabbing at the cookies.
    • She lurched through the dark hallway, feeling for the light switch.
    • The economy lurched from one crisis to another.
noun
  1. A sudden, unsteady movement.
    • He felt a lurch in his stomach as the roller coaster dropped.
    • The train came to a stop with a sharp lurch.
    • The car gave a lurch and then stalled.
  2. A difficult or awkward situation (used in the phrase 'leave in the lurch').
    • When the babysitter canceled at the last minute, we were left in the lurch.
    • He promised to help, but then left me in the lurch.
    • She quit the project without warning, leaving her team in the lurch.
Synonyms
What does "lurch" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean