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
Hamstring injuries are notoriously tricky, particularly for players such as Dončić, whose games rely on herky-jerky changes of speed and direction.
—
Law Murray, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2026
The single thread throughout this herky-jerky tale is, oddly enough, the novels of Charles Dickens, taught by James’ grandfather, absorbed by James and quoted endlessly by Irving.
—The Know, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
The Bone Temple is in many ways a more conventional film than 28 Years Later; DaCosta thankfully doesn’t try to re-create the herky-jerky rhythms and mixed-media montages of Boyle’s picture.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Primo left the seams showing on his best beats, deftly combining chunky sample chops and simple, swinging, heavy-bag drums into herky-jerky, screw-face symphonies.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
The way that life unfolds in herky-jerky, unpredictable rhythms informs the experimental approach that Dijon, a 33-year-old producer-singer, takes to R&B.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 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
Law Murray, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2026
The single thread throughout this herky-jerky tale is, oddly enough, the novels of Charles Dickens, taught by James’ grandfather, absorbed by James and quoted endlessly by Irving.
—The Know, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
The Bone Temple is in many ways a more conventional film than 28 Years Later; DaCosta thankfully doesn’t try to re-create the herky-jerky rhythms and mixed-media montages of Boyle’s picture.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Primo left the seams showing on his best beats, deftly combining chunky sample chops and simple, swinging, heavy-bag drums into herky-jerky, screw-face symphonies.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
The way that life unfolds in herky-jerky, unpredictable rhythms informs the experimental approach that Dijon, a 33-year-old producer-singer, takes to R&B.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
-
Last year, researchers at the University of California San Diego developed a wearable AI system that accurately interprets arm gestures and controls robots, even during running, vehicle motion, or rough ocean conditions.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
-
The large leg retains stability even on rough, uneven ground.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
While this novel is at times engaging and even includes one surprising turn, much is uneven – either predictable or requiring a huge suspension of disbelief.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
-
An InStyle tester, who has combination skin with uneven tone and fine lines, was impressed with the cream’s thick, cushiony texture, and experienced zero flaking when using it with tretinoin.—
Jenny Berg,
InStyle,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
What began as an effort by namesake founder Jack Link to turn his great-grandfather’s jerky recipe into a livelihood has grown into a global business selling products in more than 55 countries.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
31 May 2026
-
The ash no longer remembers what caused the fire., dated 2026, includes greyish paintings, textiles showing people breaking free from chains, a room filled mostly with rubble, a jerky machine, and altar-like niches with barred windows.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Tesla Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle maker is a good example of a stock that experienced extremely choppy trading after its IPO.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
But in a choppy, sideways macro environment, why just sit there and collect a standard payout?—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The path to this point was just a little bumpier than expected.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
With the critical summer travel season starting, budget carriers are in for a bumpy ride.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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