1
as in yanked
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
Relevance
2
as in twitched
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 shook
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the car jerked with every shift of the gear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jerked
Allen, who is 6 foot 5 and 237 pounds, jerked his head back in an effort to draw a roughing penalty on Bolton.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerked
Verb
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Just as the video began, a man identified as Justin Calhoon, 19, lunged across the table, yanked it toward him and flipped it on its side while Turning Point materials spilled onto the pavement.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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While the Russian threatened to make history against Chicago just two nights earlier—he’d reached the 894 mark before the Blackhawks yanked their goalie—Ovechkin apparently wasn’t interested in breaking the record by way of an empty net.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His eyes twitched in rapid blinks, his lips disappeared as if cold fury were coursing through his body.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Her hand twitched from the heat.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The earthquake shook at a depth of just 3 miles, with its epicenter roughly 4 miles northwest of Pinnacles.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The Breakers shook off early losses to Mater Dei and San Clemente to set the school record for most wins in a regular season.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Marshall tossed an overhead pass to Flagg, who slammed in a dunk.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Check in on your hair tools before the year end to see what’s still in good shape and what needs to be tossed.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Earth shuddered with yet another wave of extinctions in this initial chill.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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For years, fashion companies like Ralph Lauren pulled their products from Macy’s stores to sell more of their products direct to consumers online and at their own stores.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
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Curran then grabbed Trantalis’ leg and pulled him to the ground, then reportedly dragged him 15 feet across the road.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerked. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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