jolted; jolting; jolts
1
a
: to disturb the composure of : shock
… crudely jolted out of that mood …—
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolfan announcement that jolted the community
b
: to interfere with roughly, abruptly, and disconcertingly
… determination to pursue his own course was jolted badly …—F. L. Paxson
F. L. Paxson2
: to cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
passengers being jolted along a bumpy road
3
: to give a knock or blow to
specifically
: to jar with a quick or hard blow
: to move with a sudden jerky motion
jolter
noun
Examples of jolt in a Sentence
Verb
The explosion jolted the ship.
He was jolted forward when the bus stopped suddenly.
The loud bang jolted me awake.
The attack jolted the country into action.
She jolted the medical world with her announcement.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Its closure has jolted the world economy.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 7 June 2026
On social media, residents across the area described the earthquake jolting their homes and rattling windows and doors.
—William B. Davis, New York Times, 4 June 2026
And while cinematically the evidence may not yet be persuasive, with a young generation listening to its own instincts and economically jolting a sclerotic system, the parallel feels bang-on.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
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
Its closure has jolted the world economy.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 7 June 2026
On social media, residents across the area described the earthquake jolting their homes and rattling windows and doors.
—William B. Davis, New York Times, 4 June 2026
And while cinematically the evidence may not yet be persuasive, with a young generation listening to its own instincts and economically jolting a sclerotic system, the parallel feels bang-on.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Cite this Entry
“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jolt. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
