jackknife

noun

Definition of jackknifenext
1
as in pocketknife

Related Words

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2
as in belly flop

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of jackknife The senior jackknife had a 10-yard rushing TD, then a punt return for a TD to give the Eagles a 14-12 lead. — Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025 Singh allegedly made a U-turn in an unauthorized area on the Florida Turnpike, causing his truck to jackknife and collide with a minivan. — Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2025 An investigation shows that a semi-truck pulling tandem trailers hydroplaned, causing the driver to lose control and the semi to jackknife. — Sam Gillette, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025 The semi then crashed into two other 18-wheelers, causing one to jackknife and hit a Jeep Compass, Ford Mustang and Honda, officials with DPS told WFAA-TV. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for jackknife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jackknife
  1. pocketknife
  2. belly flop
  3. knife
  4. header
  5. dagger
  6. drop
  7. switchblade
  8. slip
Noun
  • Police allegedly found a pocketknife on him and a gun in the vehicle.
    — Mamie Bah, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • Brown, 34, could face the death penalty in the killing of Zarutska, who was stabbed from behind with a pocketknife while seated and looking at her phone in an unprovoked attack on August 22, 2025.
    — Andy Buck, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Definition of pocketknife
Noun
  • On splashdown, the rocket tipped over and belly flopped into the sea as expected, broke apart and exploded as left over propellants ignited.
    — William Harwood, CBS News, 22 May 2026
  • Maybe that Great White shark out there did a big ol' belly flop?
    — Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of belly flop
Noun
  • That case focused mostly on the details of the knife attack itself; the federal one delves more into questions of motive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • Greek media reported the suspect had been brandishing a knife and threatening people before the attack, prompting a bystander to call police.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of knife
Noun
  • Two meteor showers — the Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquarids — are set to peak at the same time over the next two nights, creating a rare double-header for California stargazers.
    — James Ward, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Zidane scored a brace of bullet headers in the 3-0 win against Brazil, earning France its inaugural star above the badge.
    — Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
Definition of header
Noun
  • The dagger goal with which Gotham FC sunk the record-breaking KC Current in 2025 was out of the second phase of a set piece.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • The delivery apps offer discovery and delivery for their 15% to 30% cut—a useful (if brutally expensive) tool for a family-run shop and a dagger to the pizza chains who once stood out by offering those services in-house.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Definition of dagger
Noun
  • The following season, Toney appeared in a career-high 13 games, but he was plagued by drops and a late-season injury.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The temperature drop will be quite pronounced at elevations above 6,000 feet, with much of the Sierra in the 80s.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of drop
Noun
  • If the trade does go through as is, then other questions about the Raptors sprout up — namely, what is to come of RJ Barrett, the 26-year-old switchblade entering the final season of his contract and eligible for an extension this summer.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • It’s been a quarter century since the mostly Canadian supergroup New Pornographers sprang from the florid imagination of Carl Newman, a pop savant with an angel’s voice and switchblade wit.
    — Elizabeth Nelson, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of switchblade
Noun
  • Cox, who’s been vacationing with Aniston and her boyfriend Jim Curtis off the coast of Mallorca, looked radiant in a white slip dress embroidered with floral designs.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In an X-ray area, an employee was running explosives samples through a machine that printed out moisture levels on a diagnostic slip that looked like a receipt.
    — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of slip

Browse Nearby Words

jacking (up)
jackknife
jackknives
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jackknife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jackknife. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of jackknife for Spanish Speakers

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