jaywalk

play

verb jay·walk \ ˈjā-ˌwȯk \

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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jaywalker

noun

See jaywalk defined for English-language learners

See jaywalk defined for kids

Examples of jaywalk in a Sentence

The police officer warned us not to jaywalk.

Recent Examples of jaywalk from the Web

The data show that men are ticketed for jaywalking 2 ½ times more than women.

— gene balk / fyi guy, The Seattle Times, "Seattle police are writing fewer jaywalking tickets, but high rate still issued to black pedestrians," 20 July 2017
Reporters analyzed more than a decade of court records and found that minority residents were far more likely to be charged for dozens of crimes, from minor infractions such as littering and jaywalking to more serious offenses, such as robbery.

— the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Pot grower attacked by masked intruders: 'I cried like a baby'," 17 July 2017
Reporters analyzed more than a decade of court records and found that minority residents were far more likely to be charged for dozens of crimes, from minor infractions such as littering and jaywalking to more serious offenses, such as robbery.

— the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Pot grower attacked by masked intruders: 'I cried like a baby'," 17 July 2017
Reporters analyzed more than a decade of court records and found that minority residents were far more likely to be charged for dozens of crimes, from minor infractions such as littering and jaywalking to more serious offenses, such as robbery.

— nicole lewis, Alaska Dispatch News, "Oregon bill decriminalizes possession of heroin, cocaine and other drugs," 12 July 2017
LaBeouf has been plagued with legal troubles throughout his career, having been arrested for jaywalking in Texas and threatening his neighbor with a knife in Los Angeles.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Shia LaBeouf's Latest Arrest Video Is Disturbing," 11 July 2017
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Moments after being stopped by Jacksonville Sheriff's Deputy Jack Bolen for allegedly jaywalking, 21-year-old Devonte Shipman started to record the incident.

— mireya villarreal, CBS News, "Video of Florida cop's encounter with man over jaywalking goes viral," 28 June 2017
Earlier this year, a Sacramento officer was videotaped repeatedly punching Nandi Cain, a young black man accused of jaywalking.

— marcos bretón, sacbee, "Sacramento is hiring its first black police chief. Here’s what he’s up against.," 28 June 2017
A young black man in Jacksonville, Fla., was harassed by a local sheriff’s officer after he was allegedly caught in the horrific act of jaywalking without a license.

— breanna edwards, The Root, "#WalkingWhileBlack: Video Shows Fla. Cop Threatening to Jail Black Man for Crossing the Street, Not Having ID," 27 June 2017

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.