1
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
his constant rudeness and insensitivity made everyone think he was a real jerk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
1
as in to yank
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to twitch
to make jerky or restless movements
you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the car jerked with every shift of the gear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of jerk
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2025
Who, just two weeks before her cast trip, told Lisa Barlow what a circle jerk was?
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
Rosanna Sutherby, Verywell Health, 2 Jan. 2025
Musk then put his hand over his heart before jerking his arm out, straight and stiff with his palm down in a manner that resembled a Nazi or Roman military salute.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Noun
The body cam footage, however, jerks with panicked motions of the officers who accosted Augustus on the sidewalk, and their breathless attempts after the shooting to put their actions in the most favorable light.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2025
Who, just two weeks before her cast trip, told Lisa Barlow what a circle jerk was?
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
Verb
Tonic-clonic seizures are characterized by periods of muscle stiffness alternating with rhythmic muscle jerking.
—Rosanna Sutherby, Verywell Health, 2 Jan. 2025
Musk then put his hand over his heart before jerking his arm out, straight and stiff with his palm down in a manner that resembled a Nazi or Roman military salute.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk
Noun
-
Even so, Wilmore and Williams will face extensive rehabilitation over the next several weeks and months as their bodies re-adapt to the unfamiliar tug of gravity. Hague and Gorbunov, who spent spent 171 days in space, will re-adapt more quickly, perhaps, but both will require physical therapy.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The gravitational tug of neighboring galaxies compresses gas within a galaxy, triggering star formation.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada offended leaders there to the point that Ontario fired back by yanking American booze from store shelves.—
Matt Egan,
CNN,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Then along comes a project that yanks you from that shapeless sack of gloom.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In the footage, the faceless android is seen suspended from the ceiling, its limbs twitching and moving in an unsettlingly human-like manner.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Something similar happened to Lindon’s recreation of a Picasso painting: His hand twitched, tearing the work to pieces.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
For some in the room, Paul’s rebellion reflected their deep unease over Trump’s protectionism, which has rattled stock markets, shaken consumer confidence, and strained America’s relationships with its allies.—
Eric Cortellessa,
TIME,
18 Mar. 2025
-
This structure has been shaken in less than three months of President Trump’s second administration.—
Llewellyn King,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Police brought in hundreds of law enforcement personnel with dogs, armored carriers, horses and helicopters that circled overhead.—
Maryclaire Dale, Marc Levy and Michael Rubinkam,
Anchorage Daily News,
13 Sep. 2023
-
The couple was seen taking a stroll on a N.Y.C. street with Bosworth's dog, Happy, on Tuesday.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
Peoplemag,
13 Sep. 2023
Noun
-
The comedy is so wonderfully weightless as to seem entirely free from the gravitational pull of the history that had preoccupied Wilde’s family, and of a place called Ireland, where the unfortunately unavailable food was not the cucumber but the potato.—
Fintan O'Toole,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
-
For a song that is so personal and meaningful, having a hat pull focus would not have fit the vision.—
Kinsey Jasnoch,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Paranoid – Black Sabbath If Black Sabbath was the birth of doom, Paranoid was the moment the monster lurched to its feet, six stories tall and stomping toward the future of heavy music.—
Darryn King,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Still, the cost is low compared with historical home prices that saw fast growth after the Great Recession then lurched further skyward during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Nick Rosenberger,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The characters are near strangers, tossed together by weird and annoying circumstances.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Warren, 25, has tossed 11 2/3 innings this spring training, and he's looked excellent each time out.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share