as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
filmed in a herky-jerky style that will give many moviegoers a headache
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Recent Examples of herky-jerky
Porter is the flashier option—herky-jerky handle, can get his own shot, and takes some of the scoring load off Antetokounmpo.
—
Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On Sushi, vivid splashes of R&B sleekness coexist with rap interludes, herky-jerky dance rhythms, and even a bit of jazzy trumpeting.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
His smooth, yet herky-jerky style has had defenses guessing and gasping all season.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
What better for the crafty, herky-jerky guard than a big man who can roll, pop and allow Brunson to play off the ball more because of his passing?
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2025
Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On Sushi, vivid splashes of R&B sleekness coexist with rap interludes, herky-jerky dance rhythms, and even a bit of jazzy trumpeting.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
His smooth, yet herky-jerky style has had defenses guessing and gasping all season.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
What better for the crafty, herky-jerky guard than a big man who can roll, pop and allow Brunson to play off the ball more because of his passing?
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
-
After a rough outing Thursday, though, Stewart will pitch again for OKC on Sunday.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Then there was a rough outing Week 2 at Indianapolis in which he and Strnad each were exposed in coverage and targeted by a Colts offense that racked up 447 yards and operated extensively through running back Jonathan Taylor and tight end Tyler Warren.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Conventional cooling systems often rely on cold plates that offer indirect contact with battery cells, which can result in uneven temperature distribution.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Polishing and setting diamonds on uneven surfaces is a rare skill and Chopard does it all in-house.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Powe still comes by once a week to drop off snacks for kids in the hotel — chips, cookies, jerky, fruit snacks, Little Debbie’s, whatever is on sale — shelling out about $100 or more of her own money every week doing so.—
Josh Wood,
The Courier-Journal,
29 Aug. 2025
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At low speeds, the Vanquish is quite agile, but a progressive power band keeps it from being nervous or jerky when laying down the power, with the wheels effectively locked in place at high speeds for added stability.—
Alex Kalogiannis,
ArsTechnica,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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His vision involves creating distinct Nissan vehicles that can be easily adapted regionally—a strategy to restore the brand's unique identity in an increasingly crowded marketplace and guide the organization through choppy waters.—
Sarwant Singh,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The look bore a similar resemblance to her 1990s runway style, which almost always included choppy, short — and sometimes spiky — layers no longer than her ears.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
It's characterized by its distinctive pink, bumpy body.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
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For Wenger, the case has been a bumpy road full of surprising twists and turns.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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