1
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
his constant rudeness and insensitivity made everyone think he was a real jerk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
1
as in to yank
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to twitch
to make jerky or restless movements
you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the car jerked with every shift of the gear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of jerk
Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Trump calls Bruce Springsteen 'obnoxious jerk' after singer voiced criticism at concert
The moment ignited a back-and-forth between an icon of American rock and the president.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
Earthquakes cause the ground to move in unpredictable ways, sometimes sharply jerking, other times swaying like a ship in rough seas.
—Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Noun
So there is this tradition of the bumbling jerk in a way, that is also a hero in some respect, some of that is just the nature of narrative.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Trump calls Bruce Springsteen 'obnoxious jerk' after singer voiced criticism at concert
The moment ignited a back-and-forth between an icon of American rock and the president.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Verb
Just a normal night, losing his virginity to an LBH’s professional girlfriend and jerking off his big brother, followed by waking up naked beside said brother, who is also naked, without a woman in sight.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
Earthquakes cause the ground to move in unpredictable ways, sometimes sharply jerking, other times swaying like a ship in rough seas.
—Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk
Noun
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Marine Group officials wanted to demonstrate that converting similarly sized tugs from diesel to electric can be replicated by other companies, such as excursion boats and dinner cruises.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
-
That, in turn, scuttled the main objective of the mission — having the Otter rendezvous with the Launcher tug down the road.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The administration previously yanked, and then reinstated, visas at an array of universities for more than 4,700 students this spring.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The National Institutes of Health, which is under Kennedy's command, has stopped accepting submissions for its flagship journal on environmental health and yanked research grants.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
18 June 2025
Verb
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The early symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, twitching, stiff muscles, speech challenges, trouble swallowing, and drooling.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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Camouflaged among desert rocks, the deadly illusionist extends its spider-like tail into the open and twitches it to summon hungry insect-eating birds.—
Ryley Graham,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Carnal, with care – Jis shook the bedrock of the cordial, conservative Guadalajara community with filth, camp and candor.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
9 June 2025
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Some shook their legs nervously, others gave death glares to folks with the misfortune of sitting on creaky chairs.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 June 2025
Noun
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This included four search dogs, three doctors, a diving team and a water extraction contingent, Tunisia’s state news agency TAP reported.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN,
13 Sep. 2023
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The remains were found by two men who were running their dogs and looking for rocks, according to DNASolves.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Sep. 2023
Noun
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Namesake Home’s Emma dresser had the perfect measurements for our space, and that, along with its white finish and pretty pulls are what really sold us on the piece.—
Briana Feigon,
Architectural Digest,
19 June 2025
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But the opening game did exert a greater gravitational pull than expected.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
Verb
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The world is lurching toward autocracy, with alarming speed.—
Elisa Manfredini,
Time,
14 June 2025
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In the final moments, Molly lurches forward into this brave new world, with nothing but the overalls on her back and her best friend who can barely start her car.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
Verb
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Pomeranz has now tossed 18 1/3 innings for the Cubs and has yet to allow an earned run.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
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As for her glam, the jewelry designer tossed her hair back into a messy bun with strands of hair to frame her face.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
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