1
as in scurrying
to proceed or move quickly
the probe hurtled through space to its destination: Jupiter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in throwing
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm
competitors taking turns hurtling their javelins down the field
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Recent Examples of hurtling
Voter anger over the cost of living is hurtling forward into next year’s midterm elections, when pivotal contests will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill to power Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Finally, with the boom of a cannon and the roar of the crowd, each team member and coach rubs Howard’s Rock for luck before hurtling down the hill toward the home sideline.
—Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
None of them knew that a space rock more than six miles wide was hurtling toward Earth and about to kill them all.
—Dino Grandoni The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
The season’s hurtling toward its conclusion, which means everyone is beginning to have some major and majorly honest conversations.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
Imagine a nuclear warhead is hurtling straight toward us, with only 18 minutes to respond before a major city is obliterated.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
For years, the county's transit system has been hurtling toward a fiscal cliff, staved off by federal pandemic aid and an increase in tax levy support.
—Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
On July 1, it was captured hurtling through space at a staggering speed of 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h).
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
The federal government is hurtling toward a shutdown on Wednesday morning.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurtling
Verb
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If seeing one scurrying through your living room sends you scrambling for a quick remedy, your instincts are on track.—
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Investigators are now once again searching for the person who was seen dressed in all black and scurrying down a street in the Rhode Island capital around the time of the shooting in video released to the public on Saturday night.—
Verb
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After throwing for just 241 total yards in wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State to start Miami’s postseason journey, Beck completed 23 of 37 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns with one interception and had the game-clinching rushing touchdown.—
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This happened after a number of protesters began throwing snowballs at federal vehicles on the scene.—
Verb
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The manufacturers and developers at the hearing told legislators that creating incentives, simplifying building codes and speeding up project reviews would help the industry grow.—
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Dash camera video captured the teen speeding away from the traffic stop and narrowly missing a deputy standing in the road.—
Verb
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On a recent morning in midtown Manhattan, Spike Lee blows on an imaginary pair of dice before hurling them to the ground.—
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As both sides scream at each other, a female customer is seen hurling a fallen burger at one of the employees, the outlet reported.—
Verb
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But one weekend in November, people who would typically be hurrying by, staring down at their phones, stopped.—
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Butler began hurrying Boise State and pushing up the tempo, which allowed the Broncos to score off several backdoor cuts and slip screens for big dunks and layups at the rim.—
Verb
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Instead of tossing your cords into your carry-on and hoping for the best, keep your tech essentials organized with this compact $10 electronics organizer from Fyy.—
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Montana State players jumped around at midfield, some tossing their helmets, to celebrate the team’s first national championship since 1984.—
Verb
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The rushing defense is one of the worst in the league.—
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Most of the time, our road crews have us up and running by the next day, so rushing for a winter storm seems sort of silly.—
Verb
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Joanna's youngest son, Crew, 7, then runs out of the house with his arms open, flinging himself around his sister.—
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Zoeller defeated Sneed and Tom Watson with a birdie on the second playoff hole, flinging his putter high in the air.—
Cite this Entry
“Hurtling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurtling. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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