1
as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
made jerky progress walking with the new crutches
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
he's acting jerky just to get people's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jerky
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
The additional villains distract from what seems to be a meditation on masculinity, and the special effects are jerky and ludicrous, like a fistfight between Kraven and The Rhino — somehow still wearing pants — that prompted some laughter at a recent screening.
—Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2024
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
Frequent fliers on my snack packing list include blueberries, trail mix, jerky, and chocolate.
—Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for jerky
Simon Hill, WIRED, 3 Jan. 2025
The additional villains distract from what seems to be a meditation on masculinity, and the special effects are jerky and ludicrous, like a fistfight between Kraven and The Rhino — somehow still wearing pants — that prompted some laughter at a recent screening.
—Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 13 Dec. 2024
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
Frequent fliers on my snack packing list include blueberries, trail mix, jerky, and chocolate.
—Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for jerky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerky
Adjective
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The Chicago Bulls have been stepping up lately after a rough start following the Zach LaVine trade.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Combat is fun enough – melee combat is rough but serviceable, and the gunplay is decent – and the world is filled with things to do, places to go, and people to meet (and ultimately kill).—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Each of them loses track of a CD filled with secrets, and some end up dying in the stupidest possible ways because of their incompetence.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Nationally, learning loss recovery has been slow and uneven, especially among students of color, Axios' Russell Contreras reported.—
Chrissy Suttles,
Axios,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The debut season also followed journeyman quarterback Marcus Mariota's uneven run with the Atlanta Falcons.—
Chantz Martin,
Fox News,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Moments that may seem silly or insignificant to others — like sharing a particular greeting, teasing each other in a familiar way or even speaking to each other in silly, baby-ish voices — can be great sources of comfort and familiarity for partners.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The industry has seen its fair share of terrible ideas, from the downright bizarre to the silly.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Late last year Charles Cohen’s media group hit choppy waters when the company was forced to sell multiple assets including British arthouse exhibitor and distributor Curzon to Fortress Investment Group.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2025
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His beats have lots of detail but no fixed center, creating rhythms that call to mind choppy waves or a record that’s stuck in a groove.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
No matter what your feelings are about Sternberg and his executive team today, these are not foolish people.—
John Romano,
Orlando Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
-
There's nothing foolish about choosing beauty over practicality if that's what your heart desires.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Every major hospital show has confronted this tonal clash throughout its run; stalwarts such as ER and Grey’s Anatomy have depended on ever larger and more absurd set pieces (tank invasions, ferry disasters, helicopter crashes) to ratchet up the action.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
28 Mar. 2025
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With stories of family chaos, missteps and her devoted dog Chunk, Chelsea hilariously tackles the world’s most absurd travel situations.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Tauruses will go crazy for something chic, functional, and soft to the touch.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2023
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Before getting into the chaos of episode 5, that episode 4 cliff hanger was crazy.—
Calie Schepp,
EW.com,
6 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerky. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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