1
as in shook
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the roller coaster car jerked and jolted as it coursed along the old wooden tracks
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2
as in jerked
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
she jolted the door open with her elbow
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in shocked
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
the sneak terrorist attack jolted the country out of its indolence and indifference
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Recent Examples of jolted
The strike, which Hamas said killed at least five people, jolted one of Washington’s closest Gulf allies and threatened to unravel fragile negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza.
—
Nik Popli, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
But Reid, setting a tough-love tone, jolted him.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Aaron Spencer was jolted awake by the frantic barks of his daughter’s chihuahua.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
The car at the bottom of the line jolted back a couple of metres (yards) and was apparently undamaged, but video from bystanders showed several passengers jumping out of its windows.
—Reuters, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Guillermo del Toro’s lifelong passion project Frankenstein jolted to life on Saturday night in Italy where the Netflix film received a splashy world premiere during the Venice Film Festival.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
The next morning, a call to his hotel room jolted him awake.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Deanna claims there was no warning before the passengers were jolted forward and no response from the crew afterwards.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Brian Decker was asleep in his Rancho Cordova home just after dawn on an October morning in 2020 when he was jolted awake by sirens.
—Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Nik Popli, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
But Reid, setting a tough-love tone, jolted him.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Aaron Spencer was jolted awake by the frantic barks of his daughter’s chihuahua.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
The car at the bottom of the line jolted back a couple of metres (yards) and was apparently undamaged, but video from bystanders showed several passengers jumping out of its windows.
—Reuters, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Guillermo del Toro’s lifelong passion project Frankenstein jolted to life on Saturday night in Italy where the Netflix film received a splashy world premiere during the Venice Film Festival.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
The next morning, a call to his hotel room jolted him awake.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Deanna claims there was no warning before the passengers were jolted forward and no response from the crew afterwards.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Brian Decker was asleep in his Rancho Cordova home just after dawn on an October morning in 2020 when he was jolted awake by sirens.
—Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolted
Verb
-
After a while, the lady shook her head.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The earthquake shook at a depth of just 4 miles, with its epicenter about 6 miles south-southeast of Pinnacles.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
-
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The brutal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a college campus shocked the nation and is forcing it to confront what appears to be an increase in political violence across the country.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The Charlie Kirk shooting shocked the nation and has been the main story over the past view days, as political tensions rise.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The van shuddered, shifted gear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Until George Springer yanked a 450-foot fly to the left-field bleachers, the lineup was ostensibly silent.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The same words apply to the title character at the film‘s center, the inscrutable and seemingly unscrupulous Hedda Gabler (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), here yanked firmly from the late 20th century setting of Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play into the ’50s, and not missing a single trick along the way.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Leo’s appalled; Geno looks forward to eating.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Trump’s victories against the bureaucracy have appalled many Democrats, though none have much of a theory on how to put Humpty Dumpty back together.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stripped of a reliable majority, Macron's governments have lurched from one showdown to the next.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
As bystanders watched, the luxury yacht lurched to one side, tilting dangerously before taking on water.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Twenty years ago this month, UCD stunned FBS-level Stanford with a late winning drive on the road in one of the great moments in program history.—
Joe Davidosn,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Chili’s has stunned the market with same-store sales surging 24% and its parent’s stock climbing 300% over the past three years.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jolted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolted. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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