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
Relevance
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
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Noun
The passengers include the requisite obnoxious jerk, Dan (Angus Sampson), already throwing his weight around and breaking no-smoking rules at LAX.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk
Noun
-
Give the potato a gentle tug to check for resistance.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
10 May 2026
-
Kalundborg, Denmark — On a boat off Kalundborg harbor, Martin Høgh Sørensen steers while his wife, Karin, and friends Michael and Anne-Louise Eliasen tug and wind ropes to maneuver the sails.—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Now, the Sentinel has learned, Florida is taking an inconsistent approach to cleaning up its mess, yanking the licenses of 47 nurses who attended schools cited by the FBI but allowing others to keep working, even when it has been alerted to their shortcomings.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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On Tuesday, Carr tweeted that the FCC was wrong to yank an $886 million broadband-buildout award from SpaceX in 2022 on the grounds that Starlink could not meet speed requirements throughout its service areas and would cost too much.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Here, American fighter planes, cargo ships and Japanese freighters have spent decades transforming into thriving artificial reefs, draped in coral and surrounded by twitching clouds of tropical fish.—
Dea Jusufi,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
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Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even with only two-thirds of the lower bowl of Grand Casino Arena filled, the cheers of relief from the fans when Morin scored the game-tying and game leading goals shook the arena as if the place was packed full.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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Her daytime meals are pretty consistent and include yogurts, protein bars, protein shakes and protein pasta.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
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In real life, once the cameras stop rolling, Wallace and McGarry have bonded over their dog named Darla, who made her online debut in March 2024.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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Landowski only began competing Neo in agility competitions last year, and the training involved coaching with a dog trainer in Hudson Oaks and years of hogging the family computer to watch dog agility competition videos, her mother, Rhian said.—
Tanya Babbar,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 May 2026
Noun
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Subscribe now There could be no better example of the pull these franchises have among the local and Indian diaspora fan base than the Mittal family, whose roots are in the state of Rajasthan.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
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Instead of billet housing, Castaneda and his teammates bounced around from one Airbnb to the next, sleeping on couches, pull-out mattresses or the kitchen floor.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Each assault count corresponds to a moment Mendoza Hernandez’s car lurched forward, about seven seconds apart.—
Scott Lebar. Story produced with AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
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These are some of the heaviest grooves that Seefeel have created in ages, channeling lurching currents through intricate chains of dub delay.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Fatu annihilated Reigns with another vicious clothesline and tossed him shoulder-first into the steel ring post.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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After Washington opener Richard Lovelady tossed two scoreless innings, Zack Littell worked four innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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