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Glite Dictionary
to hurtle towards

to hurtle towards

1 6.8
To move very fast and out of control toward something, often causing harm
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈhɜːrtl təˈwɔrdz/
translation icon : lanzarse hacia
  • A giant asteroid is hurtling towards Earth!

So we just keep hurtling towards that big bright light.

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Examples

  • So we just keep hurtling towards that big bright light.

    DoctorRamani

  • We're all hurtling towards death.

    Synecdoche, New York (2008)

  • I'm hurtling towards you as we speak, sir.

    2012 (2009)

  • Guys, don't worry about the fact that we're hurtling towards the ground.

  • Sure, we're hurtling towards Earth in a tin can, staring squarely into the face of death.

    The Bad Guys 2 (2025)

  • The car was hurtling towards the wall before the driver could react.

  • As the roller coaster plunged down the track, we felt ourselves hurtling towards the ground.

  • Without any brakes, the bike was hurtling towards the oncoming traffic.

Synonyms

to hurl
vsto hurtle towards
31 3.5

To move your body forward suddenly with force

implies a violent, unstoppable movement aimed at something rather than any forceful act
to hurtle
vsto hurtle towards
19 6.8

To move very fast and with great force like a train or meteor

moves the same way but specifically toward something and often out of control
to fling
vsto hurtle towards
16 4.1

To move yourself suddenly and forcefully, often without control

is more about violent motion directed toward a target rather than self action
to onrush
vsto hurtle towards
2 6.7

To rush forward suddenly toward someone or something

is similar but stresses being unstoppable and violently out of control
to pelt down
vsto hurtle towards
  • Informal
1 7.2

To run or move very quickly without control

adds a stronger sense of violent approach and unstoppable motion toward a target
to cannonball along
vsto hurtle towards
  • Informal
7.1

To move very quickly in a straight, forceful way

carries more violence and an out of control approach toward a specific object
to elance
vsto hurtle towards
9.9

To move suddenly and fast in one direction

is more violent and uncontrollable, pushing toward a target rather than a quick dart

Antonyms

retreat
93 4.4

A move back from a place to escape danger

How Fast

to hurtle towards
1 6.8
to charge
128 3.6

Surface Forms

hurtle towards infinitive
hurtled towards past
hurtled towards past participle
hurtling towards present participle
hurtles towards third person singular

Morphology

hurtle + toward

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'hurtle' (to move very rapidly with force) plus 'toward(s)' (in the direction of), so a learner who knows both words can infer movement that is fast, violent, and directed at something. This motion-verb + directional preposition pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English composition, making the MWE immediately comprehensible to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Hurtle towards paints a picture of something heavy or very fast crashing forward, and towards shows the direction it goes. Imagine a big rock rolling down a hill and smashing fences as it comes closer; that's why hurtle towards means 'to move quickly and violently in the direction of something' and often feels out of control.