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
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
Late in a herky-jerky first half, the backup guard’s emphatic drive and dunk helped cut into Penn State’s lead.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2025
Just in time for a herky-jerky square between your celestial ruler, Mercury, and rebellious Uranus on Feb. 10, expect unexpected tensions to rise in your personal and professional relationships as you are being called to create a healthy balance between both.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
Watching Eddie Redmayne do his herky-jerky dance, reaching out to the camera like a William Castle 3-D movie.
—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
James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Late in a herky-jerky first half, the backup guard’s emphatic drive and dunk helped cut into Penn State’s lead.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2025
Just in time for a herky-jerky square between your celestial ruler, Mercury, and rebellious Uranus on Feb. 10, expect unexpected tensions to rise in your personal and professional relationships as you are being called to create a healthy balance between both.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025
Watching Eddie Redmayne do his herky-jerky dance, reaching out to the camera like a William Castle 3-D movie.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
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Known for his rough and tumble roles, the two-time Oscar winner died Feb. 26, 2025.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
27 Feb. 2025
-
The results, while still a little rough around the edges, show how much extra longevity can be wrung from simple tweaks to existing gameplay.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Connecticut transit riders urged lawmakers to bolster funding and services for the state’s local commuter railroads on Wednesday, as ridership continues to experience an uneven rebound from the pandemic.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Two different curling irons — a 1-inch and a 1.5-inch — gave the pro uneven waves for a more natural feel.—
Jackie Fields,
People.com,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Since many thefts can be violent or involve sudden, jerky movements, Guo sought ad vice from Google’s Activity Recognition team, which worked on a somewhat similar feature available on Pixel smartphones for car crash detection.—
Reece Rogers,
WIRED,
25 Jan. 2025
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The video was mostly crisp, but movement was sometimes a bit jerky, and fast-moving subjects can get blurry.—
Simon Hill,
WIRED,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yet while Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim period may have steadied the ship, Amorim’s approach to sailing across choppy waters has led to weary sighs at Old Trafford and beyond.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
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However, these headwinds show no signs of easing, which could mean more choppy trading action ahead.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Economic policymakers have described the disinflation process as a bumpy road.—
Neil Irwin,
Axios,
20 Feb. 2025
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The tensions between the U.S. and China, and the possible bumpy road in global trade that could result from it, has logistics giants like CMA CGM, DHL and Kuehne + Nagel redeploying Chinese staff across different regions of the world.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
14 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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