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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
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The advanced energy management system elevates the ride experience, allowing users to push boundaries with confidence—whether tackling steep hills, rough paths, or long-distance adventures.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Even so, rough surf and rip currents could spread along the US East Coast next week.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After Florida State and Clemson fought for an uneven share of ACC revenue, a Georgia Tech versus Virginia championship game just feels right.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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Southern live oaks draped in Spanish moss that tower and twist over city squares, Neoclassical Antebellum architecture, gas lamps that flicker over uneven cobblestone paths, and a humid subtropical climate that hangs heavy in the air.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Involuntary jerky motions and stiffness are common, as well as trouble walking, speaking and swallowing.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
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Instead of his usual calm demeanor, Chris did these chores with jerky, fast movements.—
Juli Fraga,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Keri Russell struggles to keep her head above choppy foreign waters on Netflix's The Diplomat.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
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Sitake’s steadiness helped BYU escape the choppy waters of FBS independence and transition into a Power 4 conference in 2023.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Stick to your long-term strategy and add some cushioning to help your portfolio ride out bumpy patches.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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These bumpy strips will represent the bones.—
Jason Mastrodonato,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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