as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
filmed in a herky-jerky style that will give many moviegoers a headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of herky-jerky
President Donald Trump’s herky-jerky trade war maneuvering certainly falls into that camp as well.
—
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
If the segues in Scene don’t feel haphazard and herky-jerky, this is in no small part because of the role addiction plays as connective tissue between sections, a kind of leitmotif.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
In a throwback to the warts-and-all silliness of the family’s legendary MTV reality show, The Osbournes, Coming Home appears to lean into the domestic comedy of the Osbourne clan, opening with a jittery Ozzy begging Sharon to stop driving in a herky-jerky manner.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The lineup of dishes and sauces and combos verges on overwhelming; they’re presented in a mix of typefaces and colors, and punctuated by herky-jerky photo animations—a waving hand holding a soft-serve twist, spidery fingers with brass nail extensions used in the traditional Thai dance Fawn Leb.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Porter is the flashier option—herky-jerky handle, can get his own shot, and takes some of the scoring load off Antetokounmpo.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On Sushi, vivid splashes of R&B sleekness coexist with rap interludes, herky-jerky dance rhythms, and even a bit of jazzy trumpeting.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
If the segues in Scene don’t feel haphazard and herky-jerky, this is in no small part because of the role addiction plays as connective tissue between sections, a kind of leitmotif.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
In a throwback to the warts-and-all silliness of the family’s legendary MTV reality show, The Osbournes, Coming Home appears to lean into the domestic comedy of the Osbourne clan, opening with a jittery Ozzy begging Sharon to stop driving in a herky-jerky manner.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The lineup of dishes and sauces and combos verges on overwhelming; they’re presented in a mix of typefaces and colors, and punctuated by herky-jerky photo animations—a waving hand holding a soft-serve twist, spidery fingers with brass nail extensions used in the traditional Thai dance Fawn Leb.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Porter is the flashier option—herky-jerky handle, can get his own shot, and takes some of the scoring load off Antetokounmpo.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
On Sushi, vivid splashes of R&B sleekness coexist with rap interludes, herky-jerky dance rhythms, and even a bit of jazzy trumpeting.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
That’s a bit surprising given his herky-jerky, all-joints-flying-at-you, cross-firing delivery.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
-
Other government notices mentioned the size and rough location of the construction.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Yams tend to be white fleshed with a rough, brown exterior.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Future work will focus on integrating snow-deposition modeling with PV yield simulations to more accurately predict energy losses and on expanding analyses to more complex, uneven alpine terrain.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Trojans' uneven season hasn't exactly helped slow rumors either.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Involuntary jerky motions and stiffness are common, as well as trouble walking, speaking and swallowing.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Instead of his usual calm demeanor, Chris did these chores with jerky, fast movements.—
Juli Fraga,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Year-over-year data doesn’t tell the whole story, the report said, noting a choppy year with mini-surges to get ahead of tariffs, followed by slowdowns, and then often followed by another one-month increase.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
With her hair tied in a bun in the back of her head, Stewart’s choppy bangs took center stage next to Elle Fanning’s and Renate Reinsve’s pristine slick-backs; the ends falling unevenly on her forehead, with longer strands tickling her ears.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The original film version of The Running Man traveled a far bumpier road than its new counterpart.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The contestants then had to compete in a physically taxing challenge that involved pushing a heavy cart along a bumpy path, stacking sand bags, climbing ladders, knocking discs off poles, and then finally knocking down four bamboo targets.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share