clean and jerk

noun

: a lift in weight lifting in which the weight is raised to shoulder height, held momentarily, and then quickly thrust overhead usually with a lunge or a spring from the legs compare press, snatch
clean-and-jerk verb

Examples of clean and jerk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Kitts competed in the Tokyo Olympics and finished eighth, lifting 177 kilograms in the snatch and 213 kilograms in the clean and jerk. Jayna Bardahl, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024 People with large amounts of those explosive, fast-twitch muscle fibers may pack a powerful punch or hoist a massive clean and jerk. Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024 Reeves lifted 117 kilograms (390 pounds) in the snatch and 145kg (320 pounds) in the clean and jerk for a total of 262kg to beat Mari Leivis Sanchez of Colombia by five kilograms in the women's 71kg division. CBS News, 9 Aug. 2024 After finishing the snatch session in fifth, Morris' podium chances rested on his clean and jerks. NBC News, 8 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clean and jerk 

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clean and jerk was in 1913

Dictionary Entries Near clean and jerk

Cite this Entry

“Clean and jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20and%20jerk. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on clean and jerk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!