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
-
The suspension control software from their high-performance cars has enabled Ferrari to develop an algorithm to keep the boat stable, Ribigini adds, which will be vital at all times, but particularly in rough seas and strong winds.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Krejczyk and Gagen, meanwhile, are enjoying a season that started rough but has gotten better.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
This not only suppressed uneven vertical phase distribution but also improved film uniformity across the devices.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
-
Many buildings predate modern standards, leaving visitors to navigate stairs, uneven terrain, or sites that simply can’t be reached without significant retrofitting.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
And when the driver knows how to accelerate, lane-change and brake smoothly, without any jerky movements or pitching—like our driver, then the transfer is that much more pleasant.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Neighbors greet each other with sudden smiles, a jerky wave, then pass in silence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bietila, who sports choppy green hair and colorful eyeshadow, sat beside Rencher in an airy Lindblom classroom reflecting on their season.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
Weather conditions are expected to be pleasant in Tenerife this weekend but will worsen early next week with choppier waves and stronger gusts of wind, according to CNN’s Weather Team.—
Jennifer Hansler,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
That was somewhat surprising became the revival seemed to have hit its stride creatively, especially in its current season, after a somewhat bumpy reentry following a 12-year break.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
-
But the golfers in attendance were grateful that, despite the bumpy road to get there, all five commissioners voted in their favor.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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