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
Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Trump calls Bruce Springsteen 'obnoxious jerk' after singer voiced criticism at concert
The moment ignited a back-and-forth between an icon of American rock and the president.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 17 Apr. 2025
Just a normal night, losing his virginity to an LBH’s professional girlfriend and jerking off his big brother, followed by waking up naked beside said brother, who is also naked, without a woman in sight.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Noun
So there is this tradition of the bumbling jerk in a way, that is also a hero in some respect, some of that is just the nature of narrative.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Trump calls Bruce Springsteen 'obnoxious jerk' after singer voiced criticism at concert
The moment ignited a back-and-forth between an icon of American rock and the president.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Verb
However, the pendulum appears to be jerking back toward the physically and mentally unhealthy skinny extreme–and a new TikTok trend serves as the latest example: SkinnyTok.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 17 Apr. 2025
Just a normal night, losing his virginity to an LBH’s professional girlfriend and jerking off his big brother, followed by waking up naked beside said brother, who is also naked, without a woman in sight.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk
Noun
-
Give one of the center leaves of the pineapple a firm but gentle tug.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
22 June 2025
-
Ripe tomatoes should easily come off the plant with a gentle tug.—
Sheryl Geerts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2025
Verb
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The administration previously yanked, and then reinstated, visas at an array of universities for more than 4,700 students this spring.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The National Institutes of Health, which is under Kennedy's command, has stopped accepting submissions for its flagship journal on environmental health and yanked research grants.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
Animated objects tend to activate the deeply rooted human impulse to perceive things that move as alive—a tendency harnessed to great effect in the uncannily twitching wires of Pol Bury’s reliefs or Robert Breer’s creeping domes.—
Marina Isgro,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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The early symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, twitching, stiff muscles, speech challenges, trouble swallowing, and drooling.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Verb
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And beside them, Milford, Weymouth and St. John’s of Shrewsbury also shook off their sub-20 seeding to advance at least once in an all-time showing of parity.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
21 June 2025
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The tragedy shook the small Ohio town — and stunned viewers who remembered the Stockdale family's 2008 appearance on ABC's Wife Swap.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
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This included four search dogs, three doctors, a diving team and a water extraction contingent, Tunisia’s state news agency TAP reported.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN,
13 Sep. 2023
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Responding officers found the dog, and advised the owner to take the dog in.—
cleveland,
cleveland,
13 Sep. 2023
Noun
-
Two atoms of oxygen bound together as oxygen gas have a pull similarly as strong as a single atom on its own.—
Laura Poppick,
Rolling Stone,
30 June 2025
-
These hanging pieces resist the pull of gravity and tradition alike.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
The world is lurching toward autocracy, with alarming speed.—
Elisa Manfredini,
Time,
14 June 2025
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In the final moments, Molly lurches forward into this brave new world, with nothing but the overalls on her back and her best friend who can barely start her car.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
Verb
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They’re rolled across bathroom floors, stored in public bins at TSA checkpoints, and tossed into airplane cargo holds.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 June 2025
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For weeks, social media has been flooded with videos of federal agents, their faces often shrouded by masks, violently arresting bystanders who are filming their actions, dragging a taco stand vendor by her arm and tossing smoke bombs into a crowd of angry onlookers.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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