jerk around

verb

Definition of jerk aroundnext
as in to play (on or upon)

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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 around Ciri gets a bit more agency and backbone, a welcome evolution for a character who has been jerked around by the plot, her allies and her enemies for too long. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025 And that’s not even taking into consideration the continual jerking around of Busy Philipps. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 July 2025 He was locked up to be a franchise player, and franchise players aren’t typically jerked around like that. — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 18 June 2025 The shocking news out of this summer’s Olympic break-dancing competition in Paris wasn’t that a female Australian competitor had hopped and jerked around like Uma Thurman being revived from a drug coma in Pulp Fiction. — Christian Schneider, National Review, 24 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for jerk around
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk around
  1. manipulate
  2. use
  3. pimp
  4. leverage
  5. mistreat
  6. abuse
Verb
  • Chen has become even more adept at manipulating her voice, both in delivery and in the mix.
    — James Gui, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • These components guide and manipulate light on a chip, much like electronic circuits process electrical signals.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of manipulate
Verb
  • The senator also used her remarks to underscore the stakes of electing lawmakers willing to withstand pressure from lobbyists and wealthy donors.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 3 Nov. 2026
  • However, sometimes chuck and top sirloin are used, offering a richer, more flavorful, marbled cut.
    — Natalia Vela, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of use
Verb
  • Norfleet, 26, was initially charged with pimping after bringing a 20-year-old woman to a hotel on the 1700 block of Embarcadero in Oakland.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The three were charged with crimes including pimping and pandering, money laundering, and tax and payroll fraud, the district attorney’s office said.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of pimp
Verb
  • With the official kick-off of the holiday shopping season just around the corner, retailers and brands are leveraging AI for product discovery and shopping.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The idiosyncrasy to California’s film and TV tax credit program has been leveraged by competing states and foreign countries to coax productions into leaving.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of leverage
Verb
  • For the first half of the episode, our pals at Price, Siffre & Associates are helping an East Coast firm with a class action lawsuit against WorkSource, an AI training company that has been skirting labor laws and mistreating their contractors.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Some federal judges have been accused of mistreating their clerks.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of mistreat
Verb
  • Lawyers are officers of the court, bound by ethical obligations to pursue claims in good faith and not abuse the legal process for improper purposes.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Security experts have long warned that AI voice and face cloning could be easily abused to enhance impersonation scams.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of abuse

Browse Nearby Words

jerk
jerk around
jerked
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Cite this Entry

“Jerk around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk%20around. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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