Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

lurch

1 verb
     
lurch1 [intransitive]
1 to walk or move suddenly in an uncontrolled or unsteady way
lurch forward/to/towards/into etc
Sam hit the gas and the car lurched forward.
He lurched to his feet.
2

your heart/stomach lurches

used to say that your heart or stomach seems to move suddenly because you feel shocked, frightened etc:
Virginia's heart lurched painfully in her chest.
3

lurch from one crisis/extreme etc to another

also lurch from crisis to crisis to seem to have no plan and no control over what you are doing:
The industry lurches from crisis to crisis.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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