as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
filmed in a herky-jerky style that will give many moviegoers a headache
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Recent Examples of herky-jerky
His smooth, yet herky-jerky style has had defenses guessing and gasping all season.
—
Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 June 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
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
What better for the crafty, herky-jerky guard than a big man who can roll, pop and allow Brunson to play off the ball more because of his passing?
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2025
Experts agree mid-drive bikes typically deliver a less herky-jerky ride, because the motor assist is integrated into the pedal crank itself.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
Judging by what Trump has said so far, and the herky-jerky way peace talks in Saudi Arabia have been rolled out, the president would be satisfied with a ceasefire that contained no guarantees of Ukrainian security should Putin later renege on the deal.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 June 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
Remember that live design collaboration suffered from maddening lag times and herky-jerky movements just a few short years ago.
—PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
But even if Trump’s tariffs ultimately end up being less harsh than feared, a worry hitting the market is that their herky-jerky rollout may by itself create enough nervousness to get U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would damage the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
What better for the crafty, herky-jerky guard than a big man who can roll, pop and allow Brunson to play off the ball more because of his passing?
—James L. Edwards Iii, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2025
Experts agree mid-drive bikes typically deliver a less herky-jerky ride, because the motor assist is integrated into the pedal crank itself.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
Judging by what Trump has said so far, and the herky-jerky way peace talks in Saudi Arabia have been rolled out, the president would be satisfied with a ceasefire that contained no guarantees of Ukrainian security should Putin later renege on the deal.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
-
The Jayhawks’ offense should play a pivotal role in ensuring KU comes out on top. Prediction: Kansas (3-1) Game 5: KU vs. Cincinnati Cincinnati looks to get back on track after a rough first two seasons in the Big 12.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Stepping into the role played by Damon in the film, British actor Milo Callaghan is Rudy Baylor, who has overcome a rough childhood and family tragedy to graduate at the top of his law school class.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Back in April, Ulta had already slowed its rollout within Target, citing uneven returns and operational friction in certain locations.—
Brian Delp,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
From the outside, staying in these uneven dynamics can look like passivity or even low self-esteem.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Unlike conventional controllers, which produce distracting noise and jerky motion, ours enables slow, stable, and human-speed walking—even on stairs.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 May 2025
-
The 24-time major champion was unusually jerky in his movements.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
And spoiler alert: Paddling back is no joke in choppy waters.—
Zekeriya Polat,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
One foggy morning this spring, a ferryboat traversed the choppy waters between lower Manhattan and Governors Island.—
Adam Iscoe,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In the United States, the bumpiest routes are dominated by flights crisscrossing the Rocky Mountains to and from Denver and Salt Lake City.—
Renée Rigdon,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The beginning of ninth grade was already shaping up to be a bumpy transition for then-14-year-old Elliott.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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