as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a jury-rigged system for supplying the town's water while the main pumping station is being repaired
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in patched (together)
to make or assemble roughly or hastily
we jury-rigged shelves out of cartons and crates until we could afford real furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of jury-rigged
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
The trade between the periphery and the core was jury-rigged to favor the latter.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jury-rigged
Adjective
-
Rosenberg is careful to note that this doesn’t require abandoning values or discernment, but recognizing that beneath every expression — skillful, clumsy, or even hurtful — is an unmet need.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
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The clumsy, confusing rollout of the fees certainly didn’t help — as many residents who were promised a locals discount couldn’t figure out how to tap that benefit.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The lynchpin to it all is recognizing that 69% of gross domestic product, a rough though imperfect measure of the economy, is consumer spending.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The hilarious ensemble comedy plays out during a dinner party between a couple who are going through a rough patch and their upstairs neighbors, who turn out to be swingers.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
So, a thinking, opinionated, rude wind is just another amalgamation of human and other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Things may be a bit fractious in NATO these days, but at Paris’ SS/2026 Haute Couture week, the civic side of the WWII Allies’ exchange looks in rude good health.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For many viewers, the plot lines feel human, flawed and real.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
-
While much has been made about the Heat potentially being positioned to make a better offer to the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo if Milwaukee were to wait for the offseason for such a move, that reasoning is somewhat flawed.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In those early scenes of Home Alone, O’Hara is not just an avatar for a forgetful, imperfect mother.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Perfect solutions delivered too late will always lose to imperfect solutions available now.—
David Chou,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jury-rigged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jury-rigged. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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