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jaywalk

verb
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jay·​walk | \ ˈjā-ˌwȯk How to pronounce jaywalk (audio) \
jaywalked; jaywalking; jaywalks

Definition of jaywalk

intransitive verb

: to cross a street carelessly or in an illegal manner so as to be endangered by traffic
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Other Words from jaywalk

jaywalker noun

Examples of jaywalk in a Sentence

The police officer warned us not to jaywalk.
Recent Examples on the Web It was supposed to clean up crime and community disorder by promptly targeting minor crimes, such as jaywalking or littering. — Brenda Wiewel, Quartz, "What other cities can learn from Los Angeles on confronting homelessness," 23 Oct. 2019 Okobi was shocked four times during the arrest, which began when Deputy Joshua Wang saw Okobi jaywalking on El Camino Real. — Nico Savidge, The Mercury News, "Sheriff could limit Taser use after deadly San Mateo County arrests," 22 July 2019 Body camera footage of the August 2017 beating showed Hickman hitting Rush and putting him in a chokehold after officers accused Rush of jaywalking. — Washington Post, "Ex-officer pleads guilty to beating pedestrian on video," 10 Aug. 2019 Open Newbury Street / July 14, August 11, and September 15 Enjoy the Back Bay’s retail backbone without the usual traffic and jaywalking during Open Newbury Street. — BostonGlobe.com, "Things to do in Greater Boston this summer," 1 July 2018 The city has used fines to quickly alter urban habits before, targeting smoking, firecrackers and jaywalking. — James T. Areddy, WSJ, "Extreme Trash Recycling: 104 Protocols, 30,000 Inspectors," 10 July 2019 Residents may see Elgin Road as busy with car and truck traffic and dangerous for pedestrians who sometimes jaywalk across the grassy median — but that doesn’t mean the city should shut it down altogether. — Jennifer Fisher, chicagotribune.com, "Proposal to close Elgin Road in Evanston draws strong opposition from condo residents," 24 June 2019 An example of newer history would be the corner of Broadway and 17th which is where Tupac Shakur was famously arrested (for jaywalking) by the OPD. — David Debolt, The Mercury News, "How Bruce Lee, a bus called ‘Aunt Clara,’ and 500 gallons of patrol car booze have a place in East Bay history," 23 June 2019 Motorists share the road with bicyclists; bikers stop at red lights; and pedestrians don’t jaywalk. — John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "My trip to foreign city was reminder Detroit's transit system needs work," 13 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jaywalk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of jaywalk

1915, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for jaywalk

Time Traveler

The first known use of jaywalk was in 1915

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Statistics for jaywalk

Last Updated

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Jaywalk.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaywalk. Accessed 16 December 2019.

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More Definitions for jaywalk

jaywalk

verb
How to pronounce jaywalk (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of jaywalk

: to cross a street carelessly or at an illegal or dangerous place

See the full definition for jaywalk in the English Language Learners Dictionary

jaywalk

verb
jay·​walk | \ ˈjā-ˌwȯk How to pronounce jaywalk (audio) \
jaywalked; jaywalking

Kids Definition of jaywalk

: to cross a street in a place or in a way that is against traffic regulations

Other Words from jaywalk

jaywalker noun

jaywalk

intransitive verb
jay·​walk | \ ˈjā-ˌwȯk How to pronounce jaywalk (audio) \

Legal Definition of jaywalk

: to cross a street carelessly or in an illegal manner so as to be endangered by traffic

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More from Merriam-Webster on jaywalk

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with jaywalk

Spanish Central: Translation of jaywalk

Nglish: Translation of jaywalk for Spanish Speakers

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