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
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
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
Late in a herky-jerky first half, the backup guard’s emphatic drive and dunk helped cut into Penn State’s lead.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2025
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
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
Late in a herky-jerky first half, the backup guard’s emphatic drive and dunk helped cut into Penn State’s lead.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
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His season started on a rough note in Australia, where a late mistake on the wet track sent him sliding off, struggling to recover and tumbling down the order.—
Kanzah Maktoum,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Two paratroopers were injured after a rough landing that was caught on video at a baseball game in Arizona.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Milling disk grab ability Milling disks with rough, uneven edges around the milling holes work well for grabbing food during processing.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
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But with the addition of meaty tires, the result is bobbling side to side on uneven pavement, and the occasional entertaining hop over water channels at boulevard intersections.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These aren’t jerky, pre-programmed movements, but something more fluid and adaptive — the result of a new AI model called Gemini Robotics that the company unveiled earlier this month.—
Jackie Snow,
Quartz,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The group choreography is somehow both jerky and smooth, sprinkled with flashes of individual freestyle brilliance.—
Sheldon Pearce,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Corrin’s hair was styled with a few choppy wisps by Patrick Wilson to frame their face.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
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My background is so much in bluegrass, and bluegrass is all about that choppy kind of backbeat thing with the mandolin.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Their relationship was a bumpy one, yet oddly enough, neither had anything to do with the other’s ousting.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
9 Apr. 2025
-
There have been some bumpy days in their friendship, notably between 2007 and 2010 when Ovechkin took a number of runs at Malkin during games, which illustrated a strain in their friendship for a time.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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