JERK Synonyms: 199 Similar and Opposite Words

jerk 1 of 2

noun

ˈjərk

Definition of jerk

as in bastard

a person whose behavior is offensive to others his constant rudeness and insensitivity made everyone think he was a real jerk

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tug

the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force guided the rowboat with a jerk of the rope

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

jerk

2 of 2

verb

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

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as in to twitch

to make jerky or restless movements you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to shake

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the car jerked with every shift of the gear

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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 jerk

Noun

That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026 Kris and Billy watch that one together in an intimate sleepover, sinking into the murky texture of a scene in which the virginal actor allowed a jerk to take off her clothes. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Verb

Nighttime in the Okefenokee is filled with a wild cacophony — the choruses of pig frogs, hooting owls, crickets and sometimes the deep, nerve-jerking bellowing of bull alligators. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also advises against twisting or jerking the tick. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for jerk

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk

Noun

My therapy dog and I accompanied grieving families to ground zero in the days following the attacks.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
Above and below the main narrative of the Bayeux Tapestry are two strips filled with ancient beasts, including tail-chasing dogs and tightly knotted swans.

— John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of dog

Verb

The trooper grabs the man by his wrist and his dreadlocks and began yanking his upper body through the window, the video shows.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
As the man was unconscious, Slawson was accused of yanking the suspect out of the police vehicle, causing the man to hit and split his head on the concrete, the press release stated.

— Christian Cervantes, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of yank

Verb

The 5-11, 210-pounder is a sudden cutter who runs with power and twitch, attacking space like a great punt returner.

— Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
The muscles in Lola Petticrew’s face twitch ever so slightly, indicating Catherine’s excitement that the police are now in possession of this picture.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of twitch

Verb

Beck didn’t participate in the book, but Riesman finds enough friends, family and associates to assemble a complex portrait of an artist who wants his audiences to see him as fashion-forward but has had a hard time shaking his past.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Thunderous applause may greet one documentary premiering at the Venice Film Festival, fitting for a story of athletes who shake the earth with every footfall.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of shake

Noun

Target recently received backlash for 'offensive' Halloween costume This comes on the heels of Target apologizing in late August for a Halloween circus clown costume that critics said appeared to conjure Blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows.

— Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Cam Schlittler, no stranger to Boston beef, used an emoji to call Flemming a clown on an Instagram post.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of clown

Noun

The pulls of our star and planet equal the centripetal force needed for a smaller object to stay in place.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
But in May, the Los Angeles City Council passed a measure urging the Police Commission, the LAPD’s policy-making body, to further limit arbitrary pull-overs for non-moving traffic violations.

— Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026