1
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things
pack the glass vase so that it won't fall victim to any hard jolts in transit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in surprise
something that makes a strong impression because it is so unexpected
the news of the CEO's sudden retirement was a jolt to us all
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to shake
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to yank
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 to shock
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
the sneak terrorist attack jolted the country out of its indolence and indifference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jolt
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
23 June 2026
Their standoff energizes the play, but this jolt of momentum comes a little too late.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Israel launched airstrikes on central and western Iran after Tehran fired missiles at Israel, jolting major cities with explosions and raising fears the region is sliding back toward all-out war.
—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Noun
The next jolt was Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which spiked energy costs throughout Europe as its leaders tried to boycott their years of dependence on the Kremlin’s gas supplies.
—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
23 June 2026
Their standoff energizes the play, but this jolt of momentum comes a little too late.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Verb
They might be jolted awake with a pounding heart, multiple times a night, for years.
—
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Israel launched airstrikes on central and western Iran after Tehran fired missiles at Israel, jolting major cities with explosions and raising fears the region is sliding back toward all-out war.
—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolt
Noun
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The collision sent Bowie careening into a minivan parked nearby.
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Now, a team of researchers assessed this signal and found a feature in the gravitational waves represents the collective event horizon of the involved black holes at the very moment of that collision.
Noun
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The race to replace Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who announced her retirement earlier this month, led to a surprise entry by a candidate with a familiar name.
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July 3 could bring shocks or surprises; just beware of being too risky or impulsive.
Verb
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Hernández said Rossi Ydrogo had just called his brother in Caracas 20 minutes before the earth started to shake.
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In Venezuela, rescue teams have been racing against the clock to pull survivors from the rubble after two powerful earthquakes shook the northern state of La Guaira last Wednesday.
Verb
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For the past couple of years, volunteers have cut grass, trimmed and yanked out invasive vines.
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Roberts quickly gave up a run-scoring single to Christian Yelich and was yanked with the bases loaded and no outs.
Verb
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Cape Verde came onto the international stage with a thrilling show — shocking the world with its 0-0 draw against Spain, where Vozinha was catapulted into sports stardom for stonewalling the Spanish, and on to its 2-2 stalemate with Uruguay.
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This was a practice in which doctors used extreme measures such as draining large amounts of blood (bloodletting) or inducing vomiting in an attempt to shock the patient’s body back to health.
Noun
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That next phase will focus on measuring the shockwaves generated by the X-59 in flight, along with evaluating the sonic thump impact on the ground.
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Not long after, Jamison’s parents reported hearing a loud thump, as though someone had fallen, according to prosecutors.
Verb
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A lot of people are upset by the notion of bringing cage fights to the White House, shuddering at the bad taste of it all.
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Design practices Not knowing ahead of time what lunar explorers may face is an unsure, shuddering proposition.
Verb
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Watching their relationship devolve (never more so than when their sperm donor, a rakish, motorcycle-driving restaurant owner played by Mark Ruffalo, enters the scene) is most definitely a tear-jerking experience, as is the film’s final scene.
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Some were petty — like Reese committing a foul against Clark, then jerking her head back, impersonating Clark as a flopper.
Cite this Entry
“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolt. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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