1
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
his constant rudeness and insensitivity made everyone think he was a real jerk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
1
as in to yank
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to twitch
to make jerky or restless movements
you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the car jerked with every shift of the gear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of jerk
Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
His profession is to be the screaming jerk on reality shows, and his house burns down.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 May 2026
During their first night together, just for an instant, Nikki appears to glitch, jerking back mid-kiss and looking at him with blind panic instead of undying affection.
—Alex Barasch, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Noun
The addition of smoky mezcal, bright citrus from Cointreau, and warming jerk bitters captures the spirit of these celebrations.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
His profession is to be the screaming jerk on reality shows, and his house burns down.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Verb
Avoid jerking the floss or aggressive movements; instead, use smooth, gentle motions.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 May 2026
During their first night together, just for an instant, Nikki appears to glitch, jerking back mid-kiss and looking at him with blind panic instead of undying affection.
—Alex Barasch, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk
Noun
-
The parasite has the cattle and dairy industry on edge, but in Mexico, screwworm has also been found in bears, pigs, goats, and even dogs and cats.—
John Lauritsen,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
Marseille said the dog was always with her sister or nephew.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
In the last two months, alligators have been spotted sitting on a front porch, playing tug of war with police officers, walking from house to house, and on Tuesday, June 9, one was found shot to death.—
Eva Flowe
June 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
Cleaner airport operations Still, the aircraft tug does far more than just slash emissions.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The announced attendance was a capacity 80,663, which is a little under 2,000 less than full capacity for the Giants and Jets as seats had to be yanked out down low to fit the regulation soccer field into MetLife Stadium.—
Andy Clayton,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
-
An abrupt sell-off in once-soaring artificial intelligence stocks yanked Wall Street sharply lower, erasing five weeks of gains and knocking the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, Dow and Nasdaq into broad retreat.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
Durrell alternates between slapstick domestic high jinks, wanderings through the lush natural landscape, and increasingly ambitious investigations of biological life, from tracking twitching bacteria in pond water to the mating habits of insects.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
This majestic sequence delivers a lifetime’s outpouring of love’s inadequacies and frustrations, of grief and regret, of gratitude along with candid acceptance of loss, and of self-questioning that never shakes the foundations of the family—her ferocious commitment to the children.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
-
As his lead attorney, Howard Srebnick, was minutes into his opening statements, Pino began crying, shaking and breathing heavily.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Hints at the canonical Big Daddies of existential clown float through the air — Beckett would recognize this pair, and so would Jean Genet.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 June 2026
-
The comments section is filled with college football fans from all over the country calling the university's athletic department a bunch of clowns and hypocrites, but one Big 12 rival, the TCU Horned Frogs, put out a statement of their own in response to Tech's video.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
There is a deep, innate pull that brings New Englanders home.—
Todd Plummer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
Mini dresses make my tiny legs look miles long, and this pull-on style from Missactiver is no exception.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Long road trips, cruises, airplane takeoffs, and landings—all make my stomach lurch.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
-
In a December 2024 crash, a bus lurched onto a sidewalk outside Curley K-8 School in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.—
Willoughby Mariano,
ProPublica,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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