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
Porter is the flashier option—herky-jerky handle, can get his own shot, and takes some of the scoring load off Antetokounmpo.
—
Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On Sushi, vivid splashes of R&B sleekness coexist with rap interludes, herky-jerky dance rhythms, and even a bit of jazzy trumpeting.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
His smooth, yet herky-jerky style has had defenses guessing and gasping all season.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
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
Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2025
Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On Sushi, vivid splashes of R&B sleekness coexist with rap interludes, herky-jerky dance rhythms, and even a bit of jazzy trumpeting.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
His smooth, yet herky-jerky style has had defenses guessing and gasping all season.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 June 2025
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
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
Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
-
After their rough start to SEC play, the Razorbacks finished with an 8-10 conference record, good enough to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Despite its rough appearance, the system helped operators better judge distance and handle tasks more precisely.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Even when Clark returned, her performance was uneven.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
This helps smooth out fingerprints or uneven spots, giving the frame a more professional look.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Powe still comes by once a week to drop off snacks for kids in the hotel — chips, cookies, jerky, fruit snacks, Little Debbie’s, whatever is on sale — shelling out about $100 or more of her own money every week doing so.—
Josh Wood,
The Courier-Journal,
29 Aug. 2025
-
At low speeds, the Vanquish is quite agile, but a progressive power band keeps it from being nervous or jerky when laying down the power, with the wheels effectively locked in place at high speeds for added stability.—
Alex Kalogiannis,
ArsTechnica,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
After electrical issues caused multiple shot clocks to malfunction, and choppy officiating gave way to numerous review stoppages, the fan cam inside the arena was put to work.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
1 Sep. 2025
-
These practitioners have helped their clients navigate choppy waters, uncertain times, so their clients enjoy financial success!—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Tickets must be purchased online in advance, and a slow, bumpy road leads to the parking lot.—
Paul Bersebach,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The road doesn’t have to be bumpy.—
Sonali Bloom,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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