hurtle
Americanverb (used without object)
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to rush violently; move with great speed.
The car hurtled down the highway.
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to move or go noisily or resoundingly, as with violent or rapid motion.
The sound was deafening, as tons of snow hurtled down the mountain.
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Archaic. to strike together or against something; collide.
verb (used with object)
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to drive violently; fling; dash.
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Archaic. to dash against; collide with.
noun
verb
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to project or be projected very quickly, noisily, or violently
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rare (intr) to collide or crash
Etymology
Origin of hurtle
1175–1225; Middle English hurtle, equivalent to hurt ( en ) ( see hurt) + -le -le
Explanation
If you forcefully throw or fling something, you hurtle it. In a food fight, you may hurtle chocolate pudding across the room, but be prepared for someone to launch peas at you in retaliation. Duck! The verb hurtle also means to move rapidly, often with a rushing sound, and sometimes with seeming lack of control. If you are driving on wet, slippery roads at night, try not to drive fast and skid out of control — if you do, your car may seem to hurtle through the darkness! By the way, even though we can't feel it, the earth hurtles through space at approximately 67,000 miles per hour as it orbits the sun.
Vocabulary lists containing hurtle
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Hatchet
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They weren’t even sure the video was real when they watched the jar hurtle across their screens at exactly the right angle for the label to spin into focus.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
The 2010 Olympic downhill champion made the difference particularly in the second half of the race, taking very direct turns to gain more speed than the others and hurtle towards the finish line.
From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026
During the chaotic period the Sun tries to reduce its complexity and violence spills out, as bits of the Sun hurtle toward the Earth.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025
The candidates, once leading characters in the American story, hurtle back into supporting roles or relative obscurity.
From Slate • Dec. 18, 2024
Duke, Nala, and Scruffy hurtle out the secret exit, hot on Dr. Loofah's heels.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
