1
as in yanking
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in twitching
to make jerky or restless movements
you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shaking
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the car jerked with every shift of the gear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of jerking
Avoid jerking the floss or aggressive movements; instead, use smooth, gentle motions.
—
Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 May 2026
During their first night together, just for an instant, Nikki appears to glitch, jerking back mid-kiss and looking at him with blind panic instead of undying affection.
—Alex Barasch, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
Pull the tick out gently, without jerking or ripping.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Tony Fauci was not just jerking the country around.
—David Blumenthal, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The clip on TikTok shows the seat jerking abruptly, apparently from forceful pushes by the person seated behind her.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
But then her limbs started jerking.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Giddey stopped, the ball cradled in his palm, shouting while jerking his hand in the rough direction of his intended pass.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Video of the collision shows the train jerking from side-to-side.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 May 2026
During their first night together, just for an instant, Nikki appears to glitch, jerking back mid-kiss and looking at him with blind panic instead of undying affection.
—Alex Barasch, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
Pull the tick out gently, without jerking or ripping.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Tony Fauci was not just jerking the country around.
—David Blumenthal, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The clip on TikTok shows the seat jerking abruptly, apparently from forceful pushes by the person seated behind her.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
But then her limbs started jerking.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Giddey stopped, the ball cradled in his palm, shouting while jerking his hand in the rough direction of his intended pass.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Video of the collision shows the train jerking from side-to-side.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerking
Verb
-
The lifeguard pursued me in a gray metal dinghy with a bullhorn, ordering me out of the water and yanking me up over the side of his boat.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Essentially, yanking gravity away is another tool, just like temperature or pressure, that drug manufacturers can apply to improve their products.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Here, American fighter planes, cargo ships and Japanese freighters have spent decades transforming into thriving artificial reefs, draped in coral and surrounded by twitching clouds of tropical fish.—
Dea Jusufi,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The other shows the two world leaders shaking hands.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
Rinse under cold water 1 minute, shaking to ensure a thorough rinse.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The Wall Street wine guys of the eighties, now elderly, seem to be pulling the ladder up behind them.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
This entire island’s economy used to depend on them pulling the heavy wooden wheels of old-school olive presses.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Pekara said hospital surveillance footage captured him fidgeting under the blanket.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
As the court moved to watch the KSTU-TV segment, Tyler Robinson appeared to begin fidgeting, with one of his hands moving and rubbing his fingers back and forth.—
Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That brewery is taking over Headflyer's space after closing its own Nordeast taproom in 2023, then shuddering entirely last year before rising from the ashes months later.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
The world itself is shuddering on some of these economic blows.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
These are some of the heaviest grooves that Seefeel have created in ages, channeling lurching currents through intricate chains of dub delay.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
-
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The Cubs did just enough to scratch a run across against Braves lefty Chris Sale, and the bullpen kept tossing up zeros en route to a 2-0 victory to snap a four-game losing streak.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is suspected of tossing a rock at the head of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal — one of the rarest marine mammals on earth — on May 5 in an incident that was caught on camera by locals.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerking. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
