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
Watching Eddie Redmayne do his herky-jerky dance, reaching out to the camera like a William Castle 3-D movie.
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Vulture Editors, Vulture, 17 June 2024
Hong Kong martial arts cinema legend Sammo Hung brought jiangshi to the screen with 1980’s Encounters of the Spooky Kind, a silly kung fu horror-comedy that features a hilarious set piece as Hung comically evades a hopping corpse’s herky-jerky attacks.
—James Grebey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
There’s a lot of herky-jerky stopping and starting, but when Jenn gets behind the wheel, things are relatively smooth.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024
The herky-jerky, on-and-off annual decision-making stops us from spending money efficiently in the way that the taxpayer expects.
—Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2015
Experts agree mid-drive bikes typically deliver a less herky-jerky ride, because the motor assist is integrated into the pedal crank itself.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
While there are some harder throwers in the system, the Rangers have been impressed by the 25-year old’s fastball-slider combination, a herky-jerky delivery and a fastball that appears to be on a jet stream moving up to the batter’s eyes.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 31 May 2023
Today just seemed a little herky-jerky, a little out of character, out of tempo and rhythm.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 22 Apr. 2023
Showtime’s Yellowjackets, which premieres its second season opposite the fourth and final season of Succession, is a series with herky-jerky mechanics.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2023
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 17 June 2024
Hong Kong martial arts cinema legend Sammo Hung brought jiangshi to the screen with 1980’s Encounters of the Spooky Kind, a silly kung fu horror-comedy that features a hilarious set piece as Hung comically evades a hopping corpse’s herky-jerky attacks.
—James Grebey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
There’s a lot of herky-jerky stopping and starting, but when Jenn gets behind the wheel, things are relatively smooth.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024
The herky-jerky, on-and-off annual decision-making stops us from spending money efficiently in the way that the taxpayer expects.
—Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2015
Experts agree mid-drive bikes typically deliver a less herky-jerky ride, because the motor assist is integrated into the pedal crank itself.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
While there are some harder throwers in the system, the Rangers have been impressed by the 25-year old’s fastball-slider combination, a herky-jerky delivery and a fastball that appears to be on a jet stream moving up to the batter’s eyes.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 31 May 2023
Today just seemed a little herky-jerky, a little out of character, out of tempo and rhythm.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 22 Apr. 2023
Showtime’s Yellowjackets, which premieres its second season opposite the fourth and final season of Succession, is a series with herky-jerky mechanics.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
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For key factors, such as tenure and years of experience, companies frequently rely on rough estimates from HR.Lyssa Hansard, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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The most common model in the United States was the highly successful iTunes Store, which allowed listeners to purchase both albums and single tracks, abiding by a rough dollar-per-song value inherited from the age of LPs and CDs.Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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One thing that stands out to me is the federal government’s seeming use of fear, confusion and uncertainty—combined with very nuanced language—to target individuals, agencies and companies who, in many cases, have been trying to do the right thing by leveling the uneven playing field of the past.Doug Melville, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
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Injuries have contributed to Canning’s uneven career.Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But one role stands out around this time of year: His turn as Cameron Diaz's jerky boyfriend Ethan in The Holiday.Gillian Telling, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
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Frequent fliers on my snack packing list include blueberries, trail mix, jerky, and chocolate.Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But with an arpeggiated, choppy set of bangs, there’s also a hint of 90s cyberpunk to the style.Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2024
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Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Bronny James, the 20-year-old son of 20-time All-NBA Lakers superstar power forward LeBron James, has had a choppy start on the hardwood to his pro career.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As his The Littlefield Company turns 25, Littlefield takes a look at the bumpy transition from executive to producer, the state of broadcast, and a potential return to network TV amid a push in comedy and unscripted.Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
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The 47th president and Senate should buckle up for what could be a bumpy ride to confirmation for the HHS nominee.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near herky-jerky
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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